Rumble—!
The blood moon loomed over the stars like a grinding millstone, shrouding the sky.
The heavens and earth trembled, the ground riddled with cracks, forming a spiderweb pattern that threatened to shatter at any moment!
Suddenly, the entire territory began to rise!
Lucian leaped into the air, scanning his surroundings.
The ground below...
It had collapsed entirely.
The land for thousands of miles had been pulverized, as though an enormous force had crushed it into powder.
Beneath the territory, a frenzied and violent aura surged out, as terrifying as it was chaotic!
"Master, this aura is too terrifying!"
Lin Xiaomei leapt to Lucian's side, her bright and beautiful face pale with shock.
It was evident she had never encountered such a terrifying phenomenon before.
Lucian's expression darkened.
His grip tightened on the [Five Elements Transformation Array], ready for whatever was coming.
At the same time, the other heroes, including Qin Keqing, rushed over.
With their exceptional perception, they immediately sensed the horrifying danger ahead.
Lucian opened his mouth to speak, but his words faltered as his gaze froze.
A monstrous figure appeared beneath the territory.
The ground split apart, mountains collapsed, and a fearsome form emerged from below!
"It's... it's..."
An overwhelming presence descended upon them, causing their hearts to pound painfully in their chests.
The earth caved in completely.
A gargantuan creature, tens of thousands of meters tall, rose from the depths.
Its size was incomprehensible, and its massive eyes glowed with an ancient, primal malice.
When it stood, the ground continued to crumble.
The light of the blood moon enveloped the world, shaking it to its core!
An ancient aura radiated from the beast, as though it had slumbered beneath the earth for countless eons.
It had survived the destruction of entire worlds, persisting through endless cycles of death and decay.
Now, it had awakened.
"This... this is trouble," Lucian muttered.
His eyes turned toward the sky.
Under the blood moon, another figure was descending.
A second monstrosity.
This one was equally horrifying.
A godlike entity with six heads and eight arms, standing over ten thousand feet tall.
Its breath alone evaporated rivers, filling the air with flames that scorched the heavens.
It moved across the night sky, its oppressive presence radiating across unimaginable distances.
"It seems far away," Lin Xiaomei observed, narrowing her eyes.
"It might be across an entire continent or even separated by a vast expanse of stars."
Her fighting spirit burned brightly, and surprisingly, she showed no fear of these impossible foes.
Lucian gave a wry smile, "We're about to get caught in the crossfire."
"These two monstrous beings, their battle is not something we can meddle in," he said, his gaze lingering on the blood moon above.
Was the corpse he had seen in the moon real?
Was this "moon" a planet, a mythical Moon Kingdom, or some sort of secret realm?
The heavens and the void were vast, filled with infinite possibilities.
"We're leaving!"
Lucian made his decision swiftly.
In an instant, he and the entire [Taiyin City] vanished.
Beneath them, the colossal ancient beast paid no attention to their departure.
Instead, it fixed its gaze on the godlike entity descending from the stars,
its feral eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Lucian reappeared in the familiar surroundings of his home.
He checked the [Heart of the Lord] interface, noting that [Descent] had entered its cooldown period.
"Looks like we escaped the worst of it," he muttered.
"It's a shame, though—there didn't seem to be much of value over there."
After several days of searching, the barren wasteland had offered little of significance.
"That area must have been devastated by that monstrous ancient beast."
Lucian shook his head.
Regardless, the expedition had been worthwhile overall.
He tallied up the gains:
Heroes, units, buildings, and resources—plenty of rewards.
The most exciting find was the [Cthulhu Sequence], a potentially lucrative treasure.
"Let's see how much this thing sells for," Lucian mused.
As he reflected on the expedition, he realized how much progress he had made.
And there was a hidden benefit:
The discovery of the "Marriage Tree's" secret potential!
With its ability to provide daily enlightenment, it solved the issue of stagnant levels.
Even when soldiers couldn't train, they could gain experience effortlessly over time.
"It's like an auto-leveling plugin!"
Lucian grinned.
This discovery significantly eased the burden of leveling up his forces.
The nights might become more exhausting, but for the sake of his people—and himself—he was willing to endure.
"I'm truly a qualified lord," he joked to himself.
Checking the time, he noted that only a few hours remained until his return.
It was now noon.
According to the [Falling] system rules, all novice lords would be summoned back at this hour.
"Time for school. Today's the mock combat."
Lucian stretched, tidied himself up, and stepped out.
The campus was bustling with activity.
Students from all grades—freshmen, sophomores, and the senior lords—crowded the pathways, their faces brimming with excitement.
Freshmen and sophomores mostly came to watch and learn, while the seniors prepared to participate in the mock combat exercises.
Lucian wandered through the crowd, recollecting the event location as he made his way toward the eastern activity zone.
Silver Moon High School was divided into three main areas:
Academic Zone
Residential Zone
Activity Zone
The activity zone, with its numerous facilities, was the largest of the three.
It would host today's mock combat.
As Lucian approached, he noticed a strange figure.
A man in a black robe stood in the crowd, his face partially hidden, his eyes glinting with a sly smile.
The man raised a hand, revealing several shimmering, star-like orbs in his palm.
He toyed with them as he grinned at Lucian.
"Student," the man said in a smooth, pleasant voice, "Please stay for a moment."
Lucian frowned.
"Who are you?"
The man's grin widened.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm from the Rosemary Blossom Foundation. You can call me Old Wang."
Lucian's face twitched.
"Nice to meet you, Pharaoh. Goodbye, Pharaoh."
As Lucian turned to leave, the black-robed man chuckled.
"Hold on, student. No need to rush!"
"I'll only take two minutes of your time."
Lucian stopped, his tone cold:
"I'm not signing any investment contracts, nor am I interested in defecting to some Cthulhu cult!"
"Quick-witted!"
Old Wang chuckled, his voice low and coaxing.
"I'm not here to waste your time.
I only ask for one favor."
"Don't worry—the reward will be more than worth it."