When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 224: A Divine Being

Chapter 224: A Divine Being

As Gu Luoxin was petrified in place, Noir swiftly rushed forward and leapt out of the ship. One second before he fell into the water, a pair of bone wings unfurled behind his back and he flew straight up to the sky. After that, he hurled Lucius, who was still a little disoriented from sleep, toward the little gap in the cocoon!

"Mroow!!" Lucius’ fur exploded in shock, and with a sharp cry, it transformed into a deadly spear that sliced through the air. Noir’s reaction time was quick, but the cocoon seemed to anticipate the attack. A few tendrils emerged and slapped the spear away, sending it rebounding toward the ocean. In an instant, it sealed itself shut, trapping Shen Nianzu and the queen inside!

Gu Luoxin hauled the muddled Jin Jiuchi onto the ship with brute force, and his face paled with worry when he saw the solid dome. "Oh no, Xiao Shen!"

Jin Jiuchi spat out a mouthful of water and coughed, his eyes fluttering open. Noticing Gu Luoxin’s anxiety, he strained to speak through his extremely sore throat, "It’s okay..."

Gu Luoxin instantly turned to him, "What? What did you just say?!"

Coughing, Jin Jiuchi propped himself up and groaned when his entire body protested in soreness. What the hell? Why was he hurting all over? Rolling his shoulder, he informed Gu Luoxin and Noir about the Goddess’ test and explained what had happened inside the cocoon. Gazing at the massive dome, he added, "So now all we have to do is wait."

Gu Luoxin gasped in horror, "So everything is not a dream?! We... we were..." shivers ran down his spine when he thought of what would have happened if Jin Jiuchi had not interfered in time. Holy, they almost harmed the real Shen Nianzu! His knees turned weak and he collapsed to the ground with relief, "Thank God... thank God he is okay! I can’t forgive myself if something happened to him. This time, it’s all thanks to you, Da Shen!"

Jin Jiuchi waved his hand in dismissal. "Nah, I know you guys wouldn’t have recognized him," he said with a smug look. Then as though noticing something, he jumped to his feet and looked down at the waters. "Uh-oh, the unwanted guests are here."

"What?!"

The merfolk, who had fled in fear of being eaten by Jin Jiuchi, quietly returned without anyone noticing. Seeing their once beautiful and tranquil city turned to ruins, their eyes turned red in grief and sorrow, and the gaze they directed towards the dome was filled with anger and unwillingness. "It’s all because of the cursed clan..."

"Why? Why must you come and disturb our peaceful life?!"

"Why are you so intent on harming us?! What have we done wrong?!"

Gu Luoxin might not understand what they were talking about, but it did not prevent him from getting angry just by the mere sight of them. He rolled up his sleeves and almost jumped down to the sea to teach them a lesson, "Why don’t you look into the mirror first, you shitty merfolk! You don’t even know what your Goddess has done for you, and you still dare to blame her when things go wrong?! You deserve this for being so stupid and fickle!" Realizing that Jin Jiuchi was unresponsive beside him, he grew dissatisfied and barked out, "Da Shen, don’t you have something to say?! It’s because of them that Xiao Shen is almost harmed!"

When he still got no response from Jin Jiuchi, he turned his head, puzzled, and saw Jin Jiuchi’s gaze fixed on the massive dome. "Da Shen, you—"

"Sssh!" Jin Jiuchi reached out to push Gu Luoxin’s face away with a large hand, his different colored eyes shining in excitement and anticipation. "Wait."

Wait for what? Gu Luoxin wanted to ask. But he soon received his answer. The massive dome, which had been stuck on the city’s spires, started to disentangle itself and plummeted into the sea with a loud splash! Witnessing this scene, the merfolk scrambled away in panic for fear that they would be trapped inside again. But this time, the cocoon seemed to have no intention of going after them. It sank deeper and deeper into the sea, until Gu Luoxin, Jin Jiuchi and Noir above the surface could no longer catch sight of it.

Gu Luoxin was anxious, "Should we go down and check?!"

"Look," Jin Jiuchi pointed at somewhere in the distance.

At first, Gu Luoxin had no idea what he was supposed to see, but gradually he noticed that the sea was getting restless. The initially calm waves churned as if something was boiling beneath, and without a warning, a burst of brilliant light erupted from below!

It was so bright that Gu Luoxin and Noir immediately shielded their eyes, but Jin Jiuchi kept them open. He did not even blink as he stared at the ocean, unwilling to miss even one second of the spectacle beneath the waters. The luminous glow appeared like a celestial sun to illuminate the marine life around and the merfolk, who had been running away, halted on their tracks and turned around in disbelief.

"This is... our Goddess?"

"Yes, you’re right! Our Goddess... our Goddess has returned!"

"She is back to bless and protect us!"

"But why does she appear from the cocoon?"

Joy and relief surged through the merfolk as they cheered for the return of their Goddess, oblivious to the impending doom that loomed over them.

"Come, everyone!" A merman urged excitedly. "Let us sing in worship—ahhh! M–My tail!!" He screeched in horror when his tail began to turn into stone.

Everywhere the light reached, the merfolk would petrify into stone one by one, and the once beautiful Atlantis underwent a rapid transformation. The pearls no longer glowed, the magic stones shattered, ancient roots and thick seaweed crept through the marble structures as if time had accelerated to centuries later. Along with this mass destruction, cries of despair and horror resonated through the waters, as the merfolk began to plead for mercy.

"Please forgive us, Goddess!"

"Mercy! Please cease your wrath!"

"Goddess, save us! Save us!"

Until the end, even when reality was staring them right in the eye, they were still unable to acknowledge the truth. Why would the Goddess emerge from the cocoon? Why had the Goddess vanished at the same time as the appearance of the cursed clan? If only they had applied a little logic to analyze these questions, they would have unveiled the whole truth. But no, they chose to embrace blissful ignorance, turning a blind eye to the bitter facts that confronted them. And for that, they were bound to pay the price.

Jin Jiuchi couldn’t care less about their plight, as all of his attention was focused on the widening crack on the cocoon. The hysteria around the air reached its peak, and Jin Jiuchi inhaled sharply.

A divine being was born.

Tremors ran through Jin Jiuchi’s body as he beheld the exquisite merman. His breathing ceased, and his grip on the railing tightened so much that the wooden surface cracked beneath his palms. His eyes traced over the length of that lithe and powerful body with intense obsession.

He was silver.

Ethereal, divine and graceful silver.

Silver like the strands of his hair under the moonlight. Silver like the blinding light he emerged from. Silver that embodied innocence and purity, like a blank canvas awaiting artistry. Silver that symbolized new horizons and fresh starts, like a pristine morning dawn.

His tail was massive, surpassing even that of the deceased King— almost one and a half size longer. Translucent flukes swayed gracefully on either side of his hips, and as the silver tail tapered towards the end, it elegantly merged into a regal shade of purple. The intensity of the hue deepened until his caudal fin glowed with an enchanting purple brilliance.

Breaking away from the cocoon, Shen Nianzu soared with effortless grace. Wherever he glided, the merfolk transformed into stones, only to shatter into sparkling dust that returned to the ocean floor. His every movement exuded innate elegance and power, as if he was born to wield such magnificence.

A divine being was born.

As if sensing something, he thrashed his tail and ascended swiftly, bursting through the surface of the water alongside with the dawn’s arrival on the horizon. Rivulets of water danced around him, kissing his skin and hair as though reluctant to part ways. They glimmered as light cascaded upon them, enhancing the brilliance of the newborn merman.

Jin Jiuchi’s eyes followed him everywhere he went. They burned, stung and watered, but he was still unwilling to blink even once.

In midair, the merman’s eyelids fluttered open, and a pair of smiling purple eyes locked onto Jin Jiuchi’s gaze. The brilliance of those eyes mirrored the burst of sunrise, captivating him with their dazzling splendor.

A divine being was born.

Jin Jiuchi’s lashes were finally unable to contain the weight of the tears, and they trailed down his cheeks. But he hastily wiped them away before offering a radiant smile in response. He was smiling so wide that his cheeks hurt. Perhaps he might look foolish like this, but he did not care. He was giddy with joy and excitement. Nian’er had become a merman. And he was not just any merman, but the God of the Sea!

The historical records did not lie. He was truly the most beautiful and ethereal being to ever exist!