“Old Ghost, you dare?!”

A furious bellow rang out within an unknown location filled with darkness. The voice was hoarse and weary, but the domineering intent behind its words was unquestionable.

“Kekeke, so what if I do? Old Fool, it’s your fault for not managing him properly. Did you think I didn’t know anything?”

A malevolent voice responded in kind, not shirking at all in the face of the intense pressure the first voice gave off. In fact, the second voice seemed to fully enjoy the first’s rage.

“Old Ghost, it seems I’ve been too lenient with you over these past few millennia. You seem to think you can do as you please here. Very well, if you think that you can interfere without consequence, then allow me to remind you of your place.”

The endless darkness trembled in fear. A massive aura spread from an unknown location within, causing cracks to appear within the mysterious realm that the two voices inhabited.

“Old Fool, are you crazy?!”

“Do you have the right to call anyone crazy? It is your actions that forced me to do this. As for the consequences, hehehe, I’ll kindly allow you to bear them along with me.”

“Tch! This is why I call you an Old Fool! Don’t you know? Regardless of what you were in the past, you are only a husk of your former self. If you truly think you can harm me like this, then you need to face reality!”

“Hahahaha! Old Ghost, you are too naive! Well then, allow me to show you reality!”

As the massive aura continued to spread, greenish-white motes of light began to pollute the endless darkness. As these droplets of light fell to the incorporeal ground, they rapidly spread and consumed it.

The endless darkness took on a new look, with a large portion of it now being the same greenish-white color. In the place where this light clashed with the darkness, massive ruptures of space the size of continents formed and dissipated constantly, causing severe instability in the realm.

“So you were still hiding this much power from me. Old Fool, it seems you want to end things here! Then, this King shall accompany you!”

Another massive aura billowed in the mysterious realm, spurring the endless darkness into action.

The two beings fought only with their auras, but the damage they were causing had already reached a continental scale. They knew that if they moved to truly fight, they’d end up consumed by the void once the mysterious realm collapsed.

Suddenly, a rain of greenish-white light motes rushed into a newly opened space crack before it closed.

“So this was your plan all along!”

The one called Old Ghost exclaimed in frustration. He had been too rash, wanting to get rid of his old rival once and for all. He had forgotten what the original cause of their current dispute was.

“What? If you can interfere, why can’t I? Isn’t it only fair?”

The one called Old Fool mocked his enemy. Soon after, both auras gradually diminished as peace once again returned to the mysterious realm.

The greenish-white land that had been formed didn’t disappear, though. It stood strong like a sole Holy Land that could weather the winds and rain within hell.

“Old Fool, you best pray that this one can survive a bit longer than the rest. Although you may have stopped this King’s advances in your first trial, the second one is something you cannot interfere with any more than you already have. Kekeke, even if he has the mental strength to resist that little girl, it won’t mean anything in the face of his own demons.”

“Hmph. Whether or not he can survive is up to him. If he truly falls, then he simply wasn’t worthy enough. No matter how long it takes, I’ll always wait until the right one comes around. At that time, regardless of what interference you pull, nothing will stop their rise.”

“Kekeke! Old Fool, you don’t have to talk in circles with me. Just as you know certain things, I naturally know them as well. This time…”

“Enough!”

Old Fool didn’t let Old Ghost finish speaking. He was well aware of the current situation, but if he allowed the hope in his heart to diminish, he’d truly have nothing left.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the veil of reality for a moment as he looked at the figure of a certain man and sighed.

‘Even if it’s from a Demigod, a True Voice isn’t something a mere mortal can endure, regardless of how heaven-defying and lucky they are. Brat, this old man will help you this time, but you must hold on until my assistance can reach you.’

***

In the place where the one called Old Fool was gazing, a once raging battlefield had become enveloped in silence.

The combatants were all gazing in a certain direction silently, their minds chaotic and their thoughts unsaid. Although none of them had witnessed what had happened, they had all heard that malevolent voice.

“Keuk…!”

“Ahhh!”

“Blergh…!”

Without warning, every single individual in the vicinity broke down and collapsed to the ground.

Blood flowed from their seven orifices and their eyes rolled back into their heads. Some were foaming at the mouth, while others directly vomited. However, regardless of their reaction, the pain they felt was real.

The True Voice that had rung out a moment ago had reached them all. It could only be said that they were lucky enough to not be directly targeted by it.

Although they couldn’t understand what the voice had said, nor could they totally understand what the voice even was, they got to keep their lives in return.

The mana in the atmosphere immediately dispersed as the True Voice spoke. Qing Tan’s shadow army and Feng Qing’er’s Runic Scriptures disappeared into thin air. Even the dark material of the Apostles seemed to have become silent.

As everyone attempted to regain their bearings, Feng Qing’er’s eyes suddenly landed on the only other ally she had in the vicinity.

“Ah!”

She couldn’t help but yelp in shock at what she saw. When Qing Tan turned to look in the same direction, her expression became grave.

“We have to go.”

She squeezed out the words with everything she had in her. Her body shakily rose from the ground, stumbling over to Damien’s position.

The bird-like Commander-level shadow that Qing Tan had summoned earlier reappeared underneath Feng Qing’er, lifting her off the ground and gliding to Qing Tan’s position.

Soon, it had put Qing Tan and Damien on its back too. Without the slightest hint of hesitation, it flapped its massive wings and shot into the distance.

The Apostles didn’t even care to pursue. Unlike the three outsiders, they had an inkling of what had just happened.

Their figures were prostrated on the ground unmoving, their eyes filled with tears. Whether they were tears of sadness or joy, even the Apostles didn’t know.

On one hand, the old man had died. He was their leader and their main support pillar. Without him, nothing would ever be the same again.

It was a truly mournful event, making their blood boil with thoughts of vengeance.

However, on the other hand, they were graced with something truly magnificent.

Their Lord had descended personally.

They had been allowed to hear his voice.

Uncaring of the fact that such a descent had caused them unending pain, they were honored and jubilated to have been able to hear that heavenly chime.

Even as the night passed and the sun slowly rose on the horizon, the Apostles didn’t move from their prostrated position.