In the Year of Divine Descent, October 1st.
As the armies of the three clans penetrated deeper into the underground, the purple-skinned monsters retaliated with escalating fervor.
They tirelessly navigated the numerous cavernous passages, relentlessly assaulting the encirclement created by the surface warriors.
It was through this reckless courage that they managed to endure for an additional six months!
Yet, despite their numbers, the purple-skinned monsters were ultimately finite.
In the face of disparities in lethality, defense, and cooperation, their operational space continued to contract.
On this day, the divided forces of the three clans finally converged in the deepest cavern beneath the ground!
They had taken care to excavate numerous ventilation shafts along the way, alleviating concerns about breathing difficulties.
"All hands on deck! The deity has warned us that the King of the Underground possesses the ability to disperse its body and flee.
Keep a vigilant watch over every crevice; we must not allow it to slip away from under our noses!"
The commanding figures bellowed the orders, as all soldiers expanded their formation to encircle the entire cavern, diligently standing guard.
After years of grueling warfare, the final moment had finally arrived, and everyone held their breath in anticipation.
After today, peace would reign across the land!
The leaders of the three clans, along with the esteemed Na Lan Huazi and Hu Yan Longzhuo, gathered to discuss strategies while gazing at the stone platform in the center of the cavern.
Upon the platform rested a sphere the size of a human head, a translucent gel-like structure in shades of blue and purple.
"It matches the description of the King of the Underground provided by the deity, but why does it remain so still?"
Zuo Qiu Yue expressed her confusion.
She had dispatched scouts to scour every nearby passage, yet none had spotted any sign of the purple-skinned monsters.
The King of the Underground showed no signs of response; had it resigned itself to its fate?
"Stay alert,"
Na Lan Xia said with a grave demeanor. "A creature that has drawn the attention of the divine must possess extraordinary qualities!"
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to the elder leader Hu Yan, who stood with his arms crossed against the rock wall, and inquired, "Elder Wu, what is your assessment?"
Throughout the journey, the elder had mostly maintained a composed silence.
After all, ordinary purple-skinned monsters posed no threat to him; any situations requiring support were typically handled by his son, Hu Yan Gui.
However, since entering the cavern, the elder had outwardly remained unperturbed, yet his gaze had been fixed intently on the slime resting upon the stone platform!
Na Lan Xia astutely noted this and seized the opportunity to ask.
"That entity… is powerful."
The elder's words immediately instilled tension among those present!
He was the strongest being beneath the divine; could it be that this seemingly innocuous blue-purple orb was truly formidable?
"A dense concentration of heavenly crystal energy is brewing within that creature.
However, it appears to be injured; its aura does not reflect a peak condition."
The elder assessed, though his certainty wavered.
He gestured toward Hu Yan Longzhuo beside him and said, "You should go and test it. Do not bring subordinates to avoid unnecessary casualties."
At this, Hu Yan Longzhuo felt the vein at his temple throb!
Why exclude his subordinates? Was his own life not deemed an "unnecessary casualty"?
Yet, the haunting memory of last year's bitter defeat in the martial combat tournament silenced him. He dared not oppose the elder's wishes, nodding in compliance as he brandished his eight-foot-long spear and stepped forward.
Three years of divine covenant had now passed its halfway mark.
In the past year alone, Hu Yan Longzhuo had fought more battles than he had in the entire preceding decade.
He believed his martial skills had significantly improved!
Moreover, armed with divine weaponry, even if he could not best the King of the Underground, he would at least not be easily dispatched, right?
Creak… creak… creak…
All held their breath, the cavern echoing with silence, save for the sound of Hu Yan Longzhuo treading upon the soft earth.
Ten steps… twenty steps… thirty steps…
He drew nearer to the central stone platform, where the slime remained motionless.
"Hu…"
As Hu Yan Longzhuo prepared to take a deep breath to alleviate his tension, an unexpected turn of events unfolded!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gelatinous tentacle extended from the slime, lashing toward Hu Yan Longzhuo like a whip!
Crack!!
Instinctively, he raised his arms, deflecting the tentacle with his spear.
The sheer force jolted Hu Yan Longzhuo's arms, rendering them numb!
Simultaneously, the entire cavern floor began to tremble irregularly, as thousands of gelatinous tentacles surged forth!
"Do not panic! Form a defensive line!"
Na Lan Huazi wielded her Green Dragon Crescent Blade, severing two tentacles with vigor as she shouted commands.
At first, the soldiers of the three clans faltered slightly, but soon, relying on their training, they formed a cohesive back-to-back formation, raising their arm shields in defense.
Hu Yan Gui, Zuo Qiu Yue, and Zuo Qiu Tang quickly spread out, slicing at the tentacles to stabilize their respective units!
Meanwhile, Hu Yan Longzhuo, situated in the most perilous zone, had no time to concern himself with others.
Crack! Bang! Crack!
He fought valiantly with his spear, yet the tentacles multiplied with each strike.
The slime shed its feeble disguise, rapidly swelling in size, while the number of tentacles extending from its surface grew exponentially!
"What a wretched thing, how can each of them be stronger than me!"
Frustrated by the relentless pressure forcing him to retreat, Hu Yan Longzhuo burned with indignation.
Last year, he had been brimming with confidence, only to have it dashed by the elder and the deity.
Now, after enduring hardships and honing his skills, he faced yet another entity threatening to undermine his progress…
He refused to yield!
With a furious roar, Hu Yan Longzhuo halted his retreat and launched himself forward, spear held high!
In that instant, the elder leader, who had been observing quietly, suddenly sprang into action.
Taking advantage of the multitude of tentacles rushing towards Hu Yan Longzhuo, he unleashed a powerful punch aimed at the core of the slime!
...
When Wang Hui awoke the following day, having washed up and enjoyed breakfast, the miniature world had already progressed to early November in the Year of Divine Descent.
As far as the eye could see, the autumn scenery was vibrant.
The diminutive folk of the three clans reveled in the joy of the harvest.
Wang Hui noticed that the signs of yesterday's slaughter had nearly vanished, and the patrols were markedly fewer.
"Have they already eradicated the cave?"
He calculated the time; a year and a half had passed in the miniature world since the previous night, certainly enough to conclude a war involving tens of thousands.
He simply wondered how the three clans had dealt with that cunning slime…
As his consciousness descended, his projection landed at the northern boundary of the Na Lan and Hu Yan clans.
Here lay a lush grassland, once the territory of several wolf packs.
However, the previous year had seen an unwelcome guest, the elder leader Hu Yan Wu, who had slaughtered those wolves that had feasted on heavenly crystal stones!
After extracting their crystals, the remains had sustained the surviving wolves.
Now, not only had the population dwindled, but they also lacked the once ferocious and fearless demeanor.
Upon seeing a figure in the distance, the wolf pack would hastily tuck their tails and retreat, fearful of inciting another massacre…
"The wolves have been brought low by Hu Yan Wu; his methods are indeed ruthless."
Wang Hui chuckled and shook his head.
Speaking of which, ever since he had encouraged the three clans to collect heavenly crystal stones, it seemed the original trajectory of the miniature world's development had shifted.
He felt deep sympathy for the beasts that had suffered from his reckless meddling.
At the same time, he hoped these creatures would recognize their place and remember which things were meant for consumption and which should be reserved for the divine!