Chapter 385 – The scheme of Ashura King
Every newborn god was already at the Celestial Immortal level, and they had to rely solely on themselves to amass faith in order to become stronger.
Demon Lords, however, differed in this aspect, as their powers hinged upon their kings.
With their king's bestowment of more of their blood, they could continue to expand their strength.
Despite the inherent arrogance among demon lords, they held a deep respect for their king due to this connection.
Dave gained a wealth of knowledge from Reyver, and he was taken aback by the fact that the demon lord possessed the strength to end his life with a mere sneeze, underlining the vast disparity in power.
Even the most exceptional Ashura King had only managed to attain the Transcendent Being level despite having lived for countless years.
This limitation seemed logical, considering that demons and gods were among the earliest creations, providing them with a strong initial foundation.
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Understanding their king's dire situation, the Ashura Clan was overcome with fear, yet they managed to unify their efforts, rallying behind Ashura King as their final beacon of hope.
Their bond was unbreakable, and Ashura King stood as an almost divine figure in their eyes, a being whose commands they would unwaveringly obey.
The Ashura Clan made a grave decision to sacrifice millions of their own people, channeling their life force to open portals across various worlds in the lower planes.
The sacrifices were willing, for they believed that their actions were for the greater good of their clan.
Meanwhile, the four mightiest subordinates of Ashura King embarked on a mission, each wielding a fragment of the demonic halberd.
Their objective was to traverse the multiverse, leaving a trail of slaughter in their wake, gathering the blood of the beings they slew as an offering to rejuvenate their weakened king.
Their journey led them to the mortal plane, where they laid waste to millions of planets.
Even the guardians of the mortal plane proved incapable of halting their advance.
The essence of the mortal plane itself was impotent against them due to their unique ability to conceal their aura, preventing the release of their true powers.
Though constrained, their power was enough to conquer them.
Following years of unrelenting slaughter, one of the four commanders ventured into an enigmatic realm.
Here, the energy was distinctly different, yet an unseen force hindered their entry.
In response, the commander summoned the other three, combining the four swords to rupture the restrictive barrier.
As they stepped into this unknown domain, they were greeted by spiritual energies comparable to those found on the celestial plane.
Recognizing the potential to expedite their king's recovery by eliminating the inhabitants and claiming the world's core, their anticipation soared.
The prospect of discovering a treasure-laden world filled them with exhilaration.
Eagerly summoning their troops, they resolved to launch an invasion.
Carving a fissure through the fabric of reality, a portal emerged, through which their eager forces surged.
Yet, their excitement quickly turned to astonishment as they encountered four Spirit Beasts stationed as guardians at the entrance. They also realized that they could use their full powers here without restraint.
These beings, birthed during the same epoch as demons and gods, exhibited signs of weakness, their power held in check and constrained.
Despite the restrictions on their powers, the four spirit beasts displayed remarkable strength.
In one-on-one encounters, each commander found themselves outmatched, only managing to inflict minor injuries through their blades.
These injuries, while not immediately debilitating, promised long-term weariness and slow attrition.
Their strategy hinged on returning when the spirit beasts had grown weaker if victory remained elusive today.
Their plan seemed solid, until an unexpected figure materialized that fateful day.
Clad in obsidian attire, his visage remained blurred.
This enigmatic presence seemed detached from the universe, his aura unseen.
Astonishingly, even the four powerful spirit beasts displayed fear in his presence.
Their shock compounded upon hearing the spirit beasts address him as "master."
With few words spoken, the mysterious figure gestured, overpowering the commanders without granting them the chance to retaliate.
Utilizing the essence of the four spirit beasts, he wove a potent seal that rendered them powerless.
Puzzlingly, this figure chose not to execute them, despite his overwhelming and terror-inducing might that surpassed even their king's.
They informed their king about the mysterious man, which immediately shifted their king's expression to one of fear.
Consequently, the king decided to abandon any plans of entering that world.
He asserted that entering that world was forbidden, and failure to comply with his orders would result in punishment.
Since that moment, they remained uncertain about the fate of that world, sealed helplessly for millions of years.
Eventually, their king discovered a method to reopen the gate of their domain for everyone to leave this place and destroy the seal of Lucifer.
The Ashura world featured a sacrificial sanctuary capable of creating portals to various worlds through the sacrifice of beings.
However, each usage altered the payment required, demanding more sacrifices with each subsequent opening.
The higher the plane, the more sacrifices were needed, and fewer individuals could enter.
To open a portal in the celestial plane for a single person, the King once again sacrificed billions of Ashura Clansmen. The task of this mission was entrusted to Reyver.
Over the course of a million years spent studying the seal, they determined that the essence of the four spirit beasts was necessary, along with individuals blessed by these beings.
Ashura King delved into myths surrounding the four spirit beasts, entities forged by the universe's will, even in the same era as gods and demons.
These creatures only surfaced during times of universal upheaval and refrained from intervening in the affairs of other creatures.
Yet, they bestowed their blessings upon those fortunate enough to possess luck and a promising destiny.
Ashura King allowed Reyver to escape and entrusted him with the mission of gathering the four individuals possessing the four physiques of the spirit beasts.
The absence of Demon King Lucifer's visits to their domain, hope still glimmered, as it suggested he had yet to find a solution.
Reyver's power is at the rank of Divine Monarch, a position attributed to his seniority within the Ashura Clan.
His standing, combined with the might of the halberd, enabled him to confront a Divine Emperor, particularly when wielding the blade.
For countless millions of years, Reyver navigated the celestial plane with extreme caution.
Methodically, he sought out and located each individual possessing the distinct physiques, one by one.
Through strategic prowess, he subdued them and forcibly abducted them to fulfill his mission.
The majority hailed from weaker clans, making his efforts mostly successful.
But securing the final individual proved to be a formidable challenge, as this person hailed from a powerful clan.
Despite the daunting odds, Reyver's strategic acumen and careful planning prevailed, eventually leading to the successful abduction of the last required individual.
With unwavering determination, he managed to amass all of the necessary physiques.
He had been working on creating a formation for many years, and just as he was about to complete it, the clan connected to the four individuals finally managed to track him down.
Fleeing for his life, Reyver came to the sobering realization that he was on the brink of being cornered.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, he resorted to his skills and covertly extracted the blessings associated with the four spirit beasts' physiques.
In a desperate gambit to buy himself extra time, he discarded the lifeless bodies of the individuals connected to these blessings, providing himself a crucial window to escape.
He successfully bought himself more time, but the pursuing group was large and determined.
Escaping by the narrowest of margins, he made a pivotal decision to employ a forbidden technique that would inflict damage upon his very essence.
This choice propelled him into the Immortal Plane.
Faced with a dire situation, he recognized that he had no other feasible option.
Without resorting to such extreme measures, the intricate plan he had meticulously cultivated over the span of many years would crumble, and the hope of his entire race would be shattered beyond repair.