NOVPUB
Chapter 325: A Brief Presence from the Underworld 1
A few moments ago, at one of the teleportation stations in Larson City, a large group of armored figures emerged from the teleportation portal. The aura emanating from their armor revealed that each piece was an artifact, and their average cultivation level was no trivial matter—most of them were at the marquess stage. Among them were individuals above the marquess stage, with the strongest, their leader, at the middle emperor stage.
The moment people noticed the group, they instinctively stepped aside, unwilling to obstruct their path after recognizing the symbol on their armor—the emblem of the imperial family. From their armor and the badges on their chests, it was apparent that this was the renowned Blue Dragon Battalion, an elite unit of the imperial family composed of powerful knights, where only the most exceptional individuals were selected to serve.
Many speculated that the arrival of the Blue Dragon Battalion in this city was related to the Larson family, whose actions seemed to grow more erratic by the day. The Larson family appeared unable to extricate themselves from the accusation, prompting the imperial family to dispatch one of their most formidable battalions.
At the forefront of the group, the commander scanned his surroundings as he stepped out of the teleportation portal. His gaze fell upon the numerous Larson family guards, who stood frozen in shock at the sudden appearance of the battalion. Expanding his senses to their limit, he swept the entire city, his focus soon reaching the Larson family’s mansion complex.
What greeted him there stunned him—a scene of utter devastation and an ominous aura hung heavy in the air. A wave of energy radiated from the site, one he recognized all too well.
"The energy of devils," he thought grimly.
One of the men standing beside him, a cultivator at the low emperor stage, spoke urgently.
"Commander Shang, there’s a massive concentration of devil energy in the Larson family mansion! This isn’t something that could come from ordinary devils!"
"I know," Commander Shang replied. "Then the plan will change. We will—"
Before he could finish, the ground trembled violently, and the ominous aura of devil energy erupted from the mansion complex. A pillar of crimson light shot into the sky, splitting the clouds above. The devil energy spread rapidly, engulfing not only the mansion complex but also spilling out into the entire city.
The moment the residents felt the overwhelming devil energy, panic swept through the streets.
"The devil energy! It’s so thick and terrifying!"
"So it’s true—the Larson family is harboring devils!"
The ground shook violently, as if the region were struck by a massive earthquake. From within the mansion complex, a colossal silhouette emerged from the crimson pillar of light. Its size was so immense that the surrounding buildings appeared like mere miniatures in comparison.
With a deafening crack, the red pillar shattered, revealing a monstrous three-headed creature.
"ROAR!!!"
The creature let out an earth-shaking roar, reverberating throughout the entire city as if announcing its arrival in all its terrifying glory. Those near the mansion complex were struck by the sheer force of the sound, many coughing up blood from the impact alone.
Fortunately, Aldrian acted swiftly, erecting a protective formation around the surrounding area to shield the populace from the devastating effects of the roar. Without the formation, countless lives would have been lost in an instant, claimed by the creature’s overwhelming presence.
Commander Shang of the imperial family stared at the creature, his eyes widening in shock. Its enormous size and overwhelming strength caused a bead of sweat to roll down his forehead. The creature resembled a three-headed fierce dog with a giant snake as its tail, and its presence was the embodiment of a living nightmare.
"What the hell is that?" he muttered, his voice trembling.
In all his years, he had never seen a creature like this, nor had he ever felt such an intense sense of intimidation. The aura of a high emperor-stage being radiated from the creature, surging into the sky with enough force to scatter the clouds into the distance. Waves of pressure from its aura swept through the city, leaving many reeling in its wake.
"A monster!" someone exclaimed.
"It’s a devil’s monster!" cried another, their voices filled with terror.
"Run!" The cry of panic spread like wildfire among the populace as people began fleeing in the opposite direction of the creature. A beast as massive as a hill had suddenly appeared in their city—how could they not panic?
The entire city was blanketed in suffocating devil aura and energy, leaving many gasping for breath and teetering on the brink of madness.
But then, the oppressive aura receded at a remarkable speed, allowing the citizens to breathe freely once more. Aldrian’s formations worked tirelessly, containing the creature’s presence and aura within the confines of the mansion complex.
From a distance, Aldrian stood, his gaze locked onto the monstrous creature, ensuring its influence did not extend beyond the barriers. Its immense size nearly filled his domain, which spanned a five-kilometer diameter within the mansion grounds.
He was genuinely surprised by the appearance of this creature. Many might not recognize it, as it had never been recorded in the history of the continent or anywhere else. Even he had never encountered any descriptions resembling the being before him.
Yet, despite never having seen it in this life, he felt an uncanny familiarity with the creature, as though they meet countless times. That was because, in several of his visions, this very creature had appeared.
"Cerberus."
This was truly unexpected. Based on his visions and prior interactions, this creature was said to reside exclusively in the Underworld—a realm where the souls of the dead gathered. It was known as one of the guardians of the Underworld, never stepping foot into the mortal world or beyond.
So why was Cerberus here? What had happened?
Aldrian could sense the dense aura and death laws radiating from the creature—a hallmark of its kind. Yet, something felt off. While the Cerberus before him bore the same shape as the one in his visions, it exuded a distinctly different presence. Deciding to probe deeper, he activated his Eyes of the Heaven.
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Cerberus (Clone)
Age: 3,012,034 years
Race: Spiritual Beast (Cerberus)
Cultivation: High Emperor
Techniques: The Underworld’s Aura, Hell’s Torment, Hell Flame
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"I see... this one is just a clone."
This one was much weaker than the Cerberus he had seen in his visions. And more troublingly, it appeared to align itself with the devils, which was completely unnatural. A creature like Cerberus was supposed to serve only the ruler of the Underworld.
From the memories he had read from Elis, Aldrian knew that the devils had a trump card hidden within the Larson family’s mansion complex. However, even they seemed unaware of the creature’s true nature. All they knew was that it could be summoned through a ritual provided by the Devil Lord.
The Devil Lord had only shared the method to summon Cerberus’s clone and establish a connection with it, nothing more.
But how did the Devil Lord know of Cerberus, a being whose existence should be unknown in the living realm? And how could he possibly possess the knowledge to summon something from the Underworld?
"I’ve heard of you!" the devil sneered, standing atop the center head of the Cerberus. "You must be the one warned about by our lord—the cultivator with strange abilities that don’t match your cultivation level. A strong cultivator always in our way, always disrupting our plans. Because of you, everything we’ve meticulously planned for thousands of years is crumbling piece by piece!"
Though the devil’s cultivation was at the Grand Duke stage, he seemed to wield control over the Cerberus with ease.
Ignoring the devil’s words, Aldrian focused his attention on the creature, using his karma laws. What he discovered was a strong bond tying Cerberus to the devil. From this connection, Aldrian concluded that the creature was bound by a slave seal, with this devil as its master.
He truly couldn’t comprehend how it was possible for a creature as powerful as Cerberus to be cloned or enslaved by someone like this devil. How had the Devil Lord managed it?
To summon such a creature, the devils must have made enormous sacrifices, given that Cerberus resided in the very realm of death itself. The amount of sacrifice required had to be staggering.
Seeing Aldrian ignore him, the devil atop the center head of Cerberus roared in rage.
"Attack him! Kill him with everything you’ve got!"
Hearing the command from its master, Cerberus let out another deafening roar before charging toward Aldrian. Despite its massive size, the creature moved with surprising agility, each step creating gusts of wind powerful enough to destroy the surrounding buildings.
Aldrian’s domain already covered part of the surrounding area. With a swift thought, he teleported all the people to safety. Just as the Cerberus seemed poised to strike with its sharp claws and teeth, Aldrian drew upon the power of the Forgeheart Kingdom’s domain. He conjured a massive spatial shield, the largest he had ever created, to protect himself. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
The Cerberus collided with the spatial shield, letting out an enraged roar as it felt the sharp pain from the sudden impact. The devil atop its head was nearly thrown off by the force.
"What the—" The devil’s words trailed off as he saw Aldrian draw another sword from his storage ring. In an instant, the devil felt an overwhelming pressure—a mighty presence unlike anything he had ever encountered before. The aura of a middle divine-grade sword spread across the vast area, as Aldrian revealed the Eternal Spirit once again to the world.
