Above The Sky
Chapter 1032 - 1032 120 The Remains of the Outer Gods 22

1032: Chapter 120 The Remains of the Outer Gods (2/2) 1032: Chapter 120 The Remains of the Outer Gods (2/2) The Dragoness Nun gazed deeply at the Glorious Sword.

She suddenly realized that she seemed to have never truly understood this familiar cleric.

Indeed, with Glorious Sword’s age, strength, and appearance, why would he become a ‘Cleric,’ someone designated as one of the ‘Dead’?

Behind this must lie some enormous change, propelling this young man, whose future should have been bright, onto such a mysterious and fate-laden path.

And as for the Embrace Light she thought she knew so well, what colossal secret is hidden within its depths?

What is the true purpose of the Huai Guang Church?

Moreover, most importantly…

Why are they so obsessed with witnessing the ‘choice of Humans’?

Too many questions, and Yingguang could not arrive at an answer for the moment.

So she did not speak, only watched.

Then, as she walked slowly toward the deepest part of the Doctrine, she saw it.

A partial truth beneath the Holy Mountain, concealed by Embrace Light.

The spiral passage within the Terminal Doctrine Zone was devoid of lights, illuminated only by the faint glow cast by the Glorious Sword, whose power served like a torch to brighten the path ahead.

But as they descended deeper, Yingguang keenly noticed that her surroundings began to change… The formerly smooth walls grew jagged and rough, and the stairs below became uneven, as if unrefined—or perhaps as if… shifting with the passage of time.

“Glorious Sword…”

Looking ahead at the white-haired cleric, Yingguang raised her head, her expression tinged with uncertainty.

Glorious Sword smiled faintly and said, “You noticed the anomaly so quickly, Yingguang.

Embrace Light chose you for good reason.”

In the next moment, Glorious Sword lifted his hand.

As befitting his sacred name, brilliant light instantaneously illuminated the surrounding abyss.

Taking a deep breath, Yingguang and Redemption Light looked around and beheld the true form of the surrounding rock walls.

They were skeletal remains.

Massive beyond measure, indescribable in human language—the remains of a colossal beast!

This was the skeletal corpse of a serpent-like monster; its body spiraled around the hollow expanse of the Terminal Doctrine Zone, forming a descending spiral pathway.

The coiled body of the behemoth reached from the base of the Holy Mountain to five kilometers below ground.

The enormity of this creature was beyond disbelief, so much so that even the Huai Guang Church merely utilized the patterns on its remains to construct the path leading to the Abyss below.

However, only the upper sections were meticulously constructed; the lower sections remained haphazard due to the corpse retaining faint traces of vitality, exhibiting occasional motion, necessitating a looser design standard.

“The Otherworld Serpent Emperor, also known as the ‘Emperor Serpent Dragon God,’ was born from the Seventh Planet Sutton of Terra, incubated by the Alien Divine Fire Seed.

A behemoth reigning over the endless cloud oceans of gaseous giants, it was also the primal and final god of the Otherworld Serpentfolk.”

“In an untraceable era of the Lost Epoch, it descended upon Terra with the Serpentfolk, only to be vanquished north of the Eran Mountain Range and Dawnglow Mountain Range by Terra Humans of unparalleled strength.

Dawnglow Mountain Range itself is the scar left by its descent and battle.”

“However, the Otherworld Serpentfolk did not face extinction.

They became assimilated into humanity, and today their genetic legacy persists among the Serpentfolk of the Demihumans, giving rise to the Feathered Serpent lineage capable of natural flight.”

Glorious Sword explained calmly as he led the two further downward.

Soon, they passed beyond the corpse of the Otherworld Serpent Emperor.

Yingguang and Redemption Light gazed at the behemoth’s head—a terrifying yet strangely sacred skull embedded within the cliff walls.

Its crystal-like sheen emitted a faint, flowing radiance, resembling points of light within the dim firmament of dusk.

Beneath the Serpent Emperor lay yet another massive organism’s remains… But this was no behemoth.

Instead, it resembled an enormous, tangled cluster of plants.

The giant vines intertwined like tentacles, encircling the Terminal Doctrine and stabilizing the passageway.

A faint, surreal whisper lingered in their ears.

“Illusory Giant Algae, also called the ‘Sea Dream God,’ was born from the Thirteenth Moon of Terra’s Sixth Planet Deus, incubated by the Alien Divine Fire Seed.

An ultra-massive divine tree-like plant developed in the ocean.

The race that created it is unknown, though presumed to be an aquatic, squid-like intelligent species.

Their souls were absorbed into the Illusory Giant Algae, where they endured eternal dreams indefinitely, awaiting rebirth.”

“During the Lost Epoch, Illusory Giant Algae descended upon Terra via an orbit-shifting comet.

This caused widespread hallucinations among all living beings on the planet; their memories and thoughts were collected into the entity itself.

Terra Humans attempted to disassemble it outside the atmosphere, yet failed due to its formidable shield.”

“It cratered near the Abyssal Sea, indirectly causing the westward shift of the Dark Mountain Range tectonic plate and leading to the formation of the Abyssal Sea.

The creature’s soul and consciousness have both been eradicated, but it remains biologically active.

Its body creates a buffer zone between two tectonic plates, preventing frequent earthquakes from disturbing Steep Ridge Fortress.”

“Beneath the Holy Mountain lies its core, restrained to prevent this superlifeform from regenerating its consciousness and soul.”

Glorious Sword’s voice remained distinct, even amid the whispers echoing in their ears: “To counter the powers of Illusory Giant Algae, the forebears of Embrace Light developed an entire suite of soul-domain defensive techniques.

These techniques proved exceptionally effective in later confrontations with Carlin’s Flower and the Soul-Sucking Swarm, preventing catastrophic destruction and annihilating these two Outer Entities.”

Carlin’s Flower…

Yingguang’s eyes grew dazed—she had an excellent memory and vividly recalled the First Apocalypse Crisis… Not catastrophic destruction?

Referring to the near-total depopulation of Yanjiang Countries, the instant death of millions, transforming them into offshoots of that Spirit Energy Plant?

The victims of Carlin’s Flower were so numerous that their burial sites between the Holy Mountain and Yanjiang formed an entire Sacred Territory!

Still, that wasn’t catastrophic destruction?

No.

Certainly not.

At this thought, Yingguang actually let out a faint laugh—indeed, compared to the terrifying might of these colossal superlifeforms, which could shift entire continental plates and permanently alter the landscape, the partial clearance of one nation in Yanjiang was hardly catastrophic.

Only…

Those people were humans too…

“Yanjiang Countries are the oldest kingdom alliance On Terra.

Their Fifth Energy Level champions bear hereditary titles such as ‘Ju Yue’ and ‘Yuan Xing,’ collectively known as ‘Wardens.'”

Glorious Sword spoke softly.

He did not turn back, yet both of them felt as though his gaze was falling upon them: “Now you should understand why their titles bear such significance, shouldn’t you?”

“In truth, the Holy Mountain does not suppress many Outer Entity remains.

In the Resolute Plateau to the east of Yanjiang, the very land consists of the piled corpses of numerous behemoths.

Across Terra, there are numerous similar suppression sites, some even honoring behemoths that once aided humanity.

Their remains serve as sacred memorials—for instance, the endless cloud seas floating above the City of Knowledge, known as ‘Heavenly Metropolis,’ are formed from the body of an Outer Entity that once helped humanity through a dire calamity: the ‘Silver Sky Gateway.'”

“Why?!”

At this moment, even Redemption Light could no longer contain her question: “Why do these… unfathomable behemoths come to Terra?

To our lands?!”

This Milos native’s voice rang loud, though none could miss the confusion in her tone: “Glorious Sword, you’re a Cleric… Did you know all of this from the beginning?!”

“I learn what I need to know, when I need to know it.

Their reasons for coming to Terra are quite simple: because this is the chosen place.”

Glorious Sword spoke cryptically, his eyes shimmering with white light as he gave them a faint smile: “By hearing these truths, your lives henceforth will change completely.”

“You will never again live carefree lives, nor immerse yourselves fully in tranquility, dreaming of a beautiful future.”

“For such behemoths, such beings, such Outer Gods, will continue to emerge, descend, and come to Terra.

For millennia, this has never ceased.”

“And our mission in Embrace Light is to help the Terra Confederation stop these calamities: each descent and destruction wrought by these Outer Entities.”

“Just as we are now.”

Glorious Sword raised the light in his hand.

At that moment, they had already reached the very bottom of the Terminal Doctrine.

A soft, writhing, amorphous black ground.

The chaotic black flesh-like earth seemed to perceive their presence, rippling like waves and sending chills down Yingguang’s and Redemption Light’s spines.

“Faceless God, Thousand-Star Beast.”

Treading on this land, Glorious Sword showed no fear; his tone merely grew heavier: “Long before Heavenfall, in the eternal epochs, it had already come to Terra, lurking in the depths of the earth in slumber.

It possesses the ability to assimilate and transform into any form of life—the most terrifying among the Fire Seed forms—and it continually devours other Fire Seeds to grow, its creators likely already consumed.”

“It was only upon Heavenfall’s arrival that its silent, predatory nature was exposed.

After relentless battles against this ancient, formless king, it was finally sealed and suppressed beneath the Holy Mountain.”

“Even now, the ancient Faceless God remains alive, its soul and flesh suspended in dormancy.

Crystalline Dragon King Goliath Nihil is its warden, guarding its very core.”

“In critical moments, should this ancient god awaken, Steep Ridge Fortress, The Empire, Yanjiang, and all other nations of Terra will unite to support Embrace Light in binding it within this Terminal Death Crypt.”

“This is the truth.

A portion of the truth.”

Turning back, Glorious Sword met the gaze of Yingguang and Redemption Light: “These Outer Entities are enemies of Embrace Light.

And they are enemies to all lifeforms on this land.”

“But Embrace Light’s mission is not to preserve human existence—if someday, humans themselves choose these Outer Entities, willing to embrace them… Just as the ancient powers embedded in humanity’s Bloodline True Form transcend even that of Terra—then Embrace Light will not intervene.”

Slowly closing his eyes, standing atop the dark, chaotic flesh-like ground, Glorious Sword’s voice carried a tone of tranquil detachment: “What matters most is the choice of Humans themselves.”

“Whatever Humans choose—be it joy or sorrow, good or ill—it will always be the correct conclusion.”

[Whatever Humans choose—be it joy or sorrow, good or ill—it will always be the correct conclusion.]

The Forest Ocean Spirit had once said this to Ian: [This is the creed Embrace Light upholds.]