Chapter 974 - Rampant Change
Chapter 974: Rampant Change
Translator: Ryogawa
TLC: Hedonist
Han Shuo had expended quite a lot of effort in building Pandemonium. There were too many secrets within that outsiders were unaware of, most of which had cost Han Shuo lots of wealth and materials to make.
For Han Shuo, whose power was at the Skybreak Realm, he had absorbed lots of experience about offensive formations from the Cauldron of Myriad Demons. Coupled with his understanding of demonic arts, his formations contained specialized knowledge that only he knew. If Han Shuo was an artist, then Pandemonium was his masterpiece made with the summation of his skills and knowledge.
Within it, there were some special mechanisms that had never been activated before. The whole time, these places didn’t seem to have any utility or special function, so most people just thought that they were useless. Even the Five Elite Zombies were oblivious to their functions. Only Han Shuo knew what they were truly for.
The changes came suddenly; huge crevices appeared on the ground where yuan energy gushed out uncontrollably, resulting in strong winds and flying sand and rocks. It suddenly seemed like the end of the world was descending on Pandemonium.
Needless to say, given their strengths, Judas, Dhaka, and the other Hegemons were incredibly sensitive to changes in the environment. They knew something was off with the odd changes occurring in Pandemonium. Without speaking a word, they all charged towards the crevices in an attempt to stop Han Shuo and the rest from escaping through them.
Han Shuo did see what they were trying to do, but did nothing to stop them. His lips curved into a cold smirk as he let out another ear-piercing howl which seemed to cause Pandemonium to transform once more.
Vast amounts of yuan energy came flooding in like a huge torrent. Rumbling could be heard from the many dark clouds that had gathered as the yuan energy came plummeting down. It was as if all the negative energies in the world had gathered together and was about to wipe out all life.
At the same time, a shocking wave of energy emanated from Han Shuo. The cauldron floated menacingly in mid-air as it sent out thousands upon thousands of demon generals that flew into the oppressive dark clouds.
“Bryan, stop it with your tricks. As long as you tell us everything, we will agree to Judas’s suggestion.” Perhaps because he was frightened by the rapid changes, Isaiah, who was initially for killing everyone in the House of Han, began to want to compromise.
Hearing that, Regis and Miller also agreed. Dhaka and Asser still seemed rather hesitant and didn’t say anything about it. Nobody knew if they agreed with what Isaiah had said.
Judas smiled slightly, but he felt a little displeased with what Isaiah had said. He gave him a mocking glance.
Wasir and Salas, who had prepared themselves for the possibility of dying, were just as surprised to see what Han Shuo had done to cause all these rapid changes. Now that survival was still in the cards, their fighting spirit flared up. They stood together with Han Shuo with the intent of betting all they had with him.
Han Hao, now delighted, levitated on the throne to Han Shuo’s side. The moment Han Shuo acted, he would help him out with the charge.
While the Hegemons were rapidly trying to salvage the situation, the killing intent, hatred, resentment, and other negative energies condensed into the dark clouds, descending upon the defensive barriers and seals they had placed around the area.
The seal Miller deployed was first to be destroyed while the other barriers were cracking and shattering. It appeared that they will soon all be removed.
Then, without any warning, a sudden burst of yuan energy pushed everyone apart while the killing intent from the menacing dark clouds entered the cauldron in an instant, causing it to grow in size multiple times before it charged towards Judas.
Judas’ face jolted as he got the feeling that he was no match for the cauldron. Instead of taking it head-on as he did previously, he chose to evade.
“Salas, Wasir, go now!” Han Shuo cried as he pointed with his left hand at the crevice that was being filled with yuan energy as it suddenly became much larger, revealing a large, seemingly endless abyss. The force was so great that Ossora, who was blocking the crevice, was forced to back away rapidly like a drunk man stumbling backward.
“What about the two of you?” Salas wondered. They didn’t leave immediately like Han Shuo had asked him to.
“Han Hao and I will escape with our own methods, so don’t worry! Quick, this is my final resort. Once the energies disperse, I will no longer be able to gather them again. I can’t keep this on for long so you must leave now!”
“Let’s go!” Wasir shot Han Shuo a solemn glance before he leaped into the abyss wordlessly. Han Shuo could tell how much he trusted him based on that.
After blanking out for a moment, Salas steeled his resolve. “Take care. I’m still waiting on you to fulfill your promise. As long as you can escape alive, I will take you as my master!”
He then jumped into the crevice after Wasir.
“Stop them!” Dhaka yelled. Balintan and Kauze who were closest to the crevice hastily charged at them.
Han Shuo closed his hands and unleashed a focused beam from his palms, causing the yuan energy that was pushing Ossora away to form into an insurmountable obstacle that kept Balintan and Kauze outside, allowing Wasir and Salas to slip away.
“Kill him!” Dhaka yelled as he let the destruction energy in his body surge to form an Orb of Destruction the size of the dark sun. This orb was the size of a hundred fists combined and its destructive potential could strike terror into most that saw it.
When Regis, Miller, Isaiah, and Tuckamore noted how sinister the whole situation was, they no longer held themselves back.
Thunder roared as bolts of lightning fell like rain. Strong winds quickly formed into many destructive tornadoes as the earth shook nonstop. Out of nowhere, a meteorite fell out of the sky. The dense energy of frost turned into a fog that froze anything it touched.
At that moment, the Hegemons, who had unleashed their Domains of Divinity, attacked with their full power. All sorts of forces clashing in Pandemonium threatened to destroy it.
“Han Hao, you leave first!” Han Shuo yelled. His three souls fused into a single body instantly before he unleashed his hybrid Domain of Divinity before the other Hegemons came charging. He would forcefully expand his domain outwards.
However, Han Hao didn’t retreat as Han Shuo had ordered. Instead, he widened the distance between them and used the power of the Quintessence Shard to its full extent, causing a gigantic tombstone to manifest.
From that instant, something even weirder happened. The yuan energy coming from within Pandemonium seemed to be drawn to the killing intent, resentment, violent urges, and other negative energies that the countless dead had left behind. They melded into Han Shuo’s hybrid domain, causing it to transform once more. Unlike last time, the domain now contained not just death and destruction energies but also the various negative energies coming from Pandemonium. It seemed to no longer be affected by Han Hao’s shard; there was no longer any conflict with it.
“ARGHHH!” Han Shuo roared. All of a sudden, he felt that the demonic yuan in his body was no longer within his control. It shot out at a speed that the naked eye could hardly follow into his new domain, within which many demon generals danced.
At that moment, death, destruction, demonic yuan, demon generals, and many other forces blended together in a way nobody could’ve been able to imagine. It felt like it was a beast that had emerged from the fringes of the universe, the embodiment of all things evil, an all-devouring black hole whose radiation was nothing but pure anti-life malice.
The Hegemons felt the energy rushing at them as they were engulfed by Han Shuo’s new domain. It felt like the ground had fractured and the world had been destroyed.
Then there came a flash as bright as a thousand suns. Everything and everyone was instantly enveloped in a blinding light...
After some time that seemed as long as a day but paradoxically as short as a moment, the depleted Han Shuo regained his consciousness and senses. He felt pain coming from his whole body, pain that he had not experienced for a long time.
Slowly, he opened both his eyes and noticed that he was bloodied all over. The Invincible Omen Body he had been so proud of was seemingly not invincible after all. Some of his wounds exposed his bones and blood came flowing out of it without stopping. Still not used to the sensation, he struggled to turn around. The sight that greeted him was garish beyond description.