Above the skies of Sterburg, a sea of ck liquid spread far and wide, its tainted aura of desire obscuring the heavens.


    Shadowcloud''s figure had vanished from sight.


    Rean, holding a staff in his hand, stood in the middle of this ck ocean, his white robe spotlessly clean, a stark contrast against the dark surroundings.


    Were it not for the ck liquid constantly bubbling up from beneath his feet, Rean would hardly look the part of a high priest of a cult; instead, he might be mistaken for an ordinary priest.


    Rean spoke in a calm voice, "Shadowcloud, after all these years, you''ve sacrificed so much for the Federation, endured so much hardship. Why insist on risking these old bones? Haven''t you seen through the true faces of the Federation and those families by now?"


    The sky above, where the ck sea churned up waves, answered him with nothing but silence.


    Rean frowned.


    Shadowcloud''s appearance had been unexpected.


    Both the Dusk Sect and the Hidden Stars had anticipated each other''s ns and had prepared ordingly.


    However, when the real showdown came, everyone, including Rean, was taken aback.


    He hadn''t expected his old adversary to be in Sterburg.


    Otherwise, he would never have chosen this city for their confrontation.


    Rean was not new to battling Shadowcloud and was well aware of his opponent''s prowess.


    Had it not been for Rean''s prior preparations, not only would his ns have failedst time, but he might also have met his demise at Shadowcloud''s hands.


    Despite his outward calm, Rean remained vignt, constantly on the lookout.


    The most terrifying aspect of the Shadow Emperory in his methods of concealment.


    Among those of equal strength, if Shadowcloud were to employ his stealth skills, he could stand right in front of you, and you would still be unable to detect his presence.


    It was this very ability that had once enabled Shadowcloud to attempt an assassination on a dark god.


    One could only imagine the horrifying extent of his stealth skills.


    However, the Shadowcloud of today was a shadow of his former self.


    Not only had he lost a leg, but his strength had also declined from its peak.


    Otherwise, Rean might very well have turned tail and fled, rather than engaging inbat with him.


    The ck sea roared angrily, and time ticked away slowly.


    Shadowcloud still did not make his move.


    Rean was not in a hurry; dragging out the battle was to his advantage.


    From the corner of his eye, he could faintly see that the terrifying ck array at his feet had already umted half of the desired power.


    It wouldn''t be long before the array was fully charged, ready to initiate the sacrificial rite.


    At that moment, with the arrival of the Dusk Lord, even the presence of Shadowcloud could not save the Hidden Stars...


    Just as Rean was confident of his victory, a loud boom suddenly erupted not far from Sterburg.


    Rean''s expression changed dramatically as he swiftly turned towards the direction of the Crimson Realm.


    The secret realm, once shrouded in scarlet light, had vanished without a trace!


    Simultaneously, a powerful force surged towards them at breakneck speed.


    It was...


    Victor!


    Rean clenched the staff in his hand, his eyes filled with a gloomy darkness.


    The Crimson Demon, ever so unreliable in critical moments, had failed to detain Baron and his party!


    Under normal circumstances, the presence of Victor and his allies, though disruptive, could still be managed.


    However, with the grand array nearingpletion, they were at the most critical juncture.


    Even a minor deviation could render all their efforts futile.


    And yet, at this crucial moment, Victor and his group had emerged!


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Rean made a decisive call to the higher echelons of the Dusk Sect within the underground cathedral, his voice grave as it transmitted through the ground: "All stewards, except for ''Raven'' and five others, must immediately move to intercept Victor and his group. Spare no expense to prevent them from entering Sterburg!"


    In the cathedral below, members of the Dusk Sect promptly obeyed themand.


    Figures vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a small silhouette wrapped in ck bandages to oversee the sacrificial array.


    Above Sterburg, just as Rean was about to make further arrangements, his pupils suddenly narrowed, engulfed by a strong sense of impending danger.


    Shadowcloud had appeared behind him, unannounced.


    d in tattered clothes, he presented a scruffy appearance.


    However, Shadowcloud''s gaze was ice cold and devoid of emotion.


    Enveloped in a ghostly blue aura, he held a dagger emitting a purple glow, his presence as elusive as a specter.


    Rean realized the gravity of the situation toote.


    A dense ck mist erupted from his body as he quickly transformed into liquid, attempting to escape into the ck sea below.


    But Shadowcloud was not about to give him that chance.


    His eyes piercing cold, the dagger in his hand spun, its murderous intent skyrocketing.


    A silent purple light shed across the sky, seemingly insignificant and quiet, yet it felt as if time and space had frozen at that moment.


    A stter of blood marked the air, and an arm was seen flying through it.


    Rean, clutching his shoulder and pale-faced, bit down and activated his skill, "Seven Sins Escape."


    His body turned into ck liquid and vanished, reappearing a hundred meters away from Shadowcloud.


    Rean''s right arm was gone, blood gushing from the wound like a stream.


    The normally gentle face of Rean was now twisted in pain.


    ck light shone from his staff as streams of ck liquid flowed out, swiftly working to heal his shoulder wound.


    However, as the wound began to close, a ghastly blue force, like maggots gnawing at bones, erupted from the wound, relentlessly tearing his flesh apart, in a vicious cycle.


    Shadowcloud flicked the blood off his purple dagger, scoffing, "Neither of us is at our peak, yet you allow distractions during battle. Rean, it seems you''ve regressed with age."


    Rean''s face darkened, ignoring Shadowcloud''s taunts.


    He began to chant softly, as a tremendous evil aura burst forth from him.


    Suddenly, a towering ck me erupted from his being, and in the blink of an eye, a sea of ck fire formed above their heads.


    At the same time, the vile ck liquid beneath them roared and surged, creating towering waves.


    Rean''s eyes swirled with dark brilliance, his palm rising.


    He dered in a deep voice, "Desire Demon, kill him!"


    With a thunderous boom that seemed to deafen the heavens and the earth, the boundless ck sea of fire and the dark ocean began to converge rapidly at Rean''smand.


    Yet, rather than repelling each other, they merged into one.


    The sea of fire roared furiously, and the ck ocean bellowed with rage.


    In just a few breaths'' time, a majestic and colossal figure, towering a kilometer high and nearly eclipsing the sun, materialized above Sterburg.


    A shrill, piercing screech tore through the entirety of Sterburg, the powerful sonic waves spreading like tidal waves, instantly shattering countless panes of ss throughout the city.


    A monstrous creature, reminiscent of an octopus, with eight massive tentacles hanging from the sky, almost touched the ground a kilometer below.


    Itcked eyes, possessing only a gaping maw aze with roaring ck mes, its body coated in a slick, filthy ck liquid.


    With even the slightest movement,rge quantities of this liquid dripped down, hissing upon contact with Sterburg''s azure barrier and sending up plumes of ck smoke.


    The citizens of Sterburg, witnessing the enormous entity above, turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling uncontrobly.


    Shadowcloud, clutching his dagger, finally assumed a serious demeanor.


    ...


    John and his group, rapidly making their way toward Sterburg, also caught sight of the monster in the sky, halting in shock.


    Old Dog eximed, "Holy shit, what in the world is that?! Looks like an octopus!"


    Dark Fox solemnly responded, "This is a creature known as the ''Desire Demon,'' usually residing in the underworld realm, feasting on human desires. It''s rarely seen in our world."


    Some expressed their astonishment, "This creaturees from the underworld realm?"


    John frowned as well.


    The underworld realm, simr yet distinct from the sprite realm, does not belong to our reality.


    Many powers of undead magi and dark-based sses originate from beings within the underworld realm.


    However, unlike the friendly ster sprites of the sprite realm, the creatures of the underworld realm are far more dangerous and powerful.


    Gold sh spoke with gravity, "This beast is beyond our capacity to deal with. Let Captain Victor and his team handle it. Let''s not lose ourposure."


    Hearing Gold sh''s words, the initially restless crowd calmed down somewhat.


    John remained silent, simply observing those traveling with them.


    The distance to Sterburg from the secret realm was not far for transcendent-tier powerhouses.


    For John and the others, however, returning to Sterburg would still take some time.


    Given the urgency, Baron and Victor had already proceeded without waiting for them, leaving behind only the less powerful among them and some mercenary forces.


    The strongest awakeners present were Old Dog and a few members of the Hidden Stars.


    Meanwhile, the guards from Theodore and House Carter, upon learning of Lucas''s death in the Crimson Realm, had left without a word.