Chapter 209

This was 【Mother of All Things】, a top-grade ability that granted absolute dominion over life and death.

The stronger the ability user, the more difficult it became to control. If she’d had more time in contact, she could’ve crushed Sykes’s heart outright. Every change within a living being lay completely within her grasp.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to buy enough time. Sykes had erupted far too quickly. With no better option, Ye Zheng had chosen to tear out one of his vertebrae.

Crimson blood had already gathered at Ye Zheng’s feet. She crouched down and looked at Sykes, who was still struggling. The light in his golden eyes had dimmed. His hand trembled as he reached forward, as if trying to seize the bone, but Ye Zheng picked it up a step before he could.

The Crown Prince, sprawled on the ground, lifted his head. His once pristine uniform was now filthy and wrinkled from scraping against the floor, and even the buttons at his collar had been torn loose. His fair, well-kept neck and shoulders were smeared with dirty blood. His golden eyes flared with startling brilliance, rage, unwillingness, shock, and suspicion… layers of emotion overlapped in his gaze, like the most dazzling moment of a sunset.

Under the knights’ protection, the crowd in the banquet hall had already been evacuated. Only monsters roamed the enormous hall now. They encircled the only two living figures at its center, yet seemed held back by the heap of their own kind’s white bones and didn’t dare to approach.

Bang! A gunshot echoed. The moving skeletons appeared to jolt. One of the monsters let out a strange, rasping cry, only for several more shots to silence everything again.

Ye Zheng half knelt on the ground with a gun in hand, letting her white robe be soaked red by the spreading pool of blood. She kept a measured distance from Sykes the entire time. Only after his body gradually went still did 【Stream】 let the water slowly creep over his body and probe his condition.

Sykes’s face had sunk into the blood. Even his radiant golden hair had completely dulled, like the last trace of a sunset before it vanished.

After a long while, Ye Zheng slowly rose to her feet. She confirmed that his heart had stopped.

Ye Zheng lowered her gaze to the bone in her hand. Using the sleeve of her white robe, she wiped away the blood. The bone was unnaturally pale, so white it looked like a specimen taken from a laboratory.

She’d chosen to extract this particular vertebra from Sykes for two reasons. First, to completely cripple his mobility. Second… this bone was special.

During that brief contact with Sykes, she’d also used 【Mother of All Things】 to delve into his memories. Sykes hadn’t noticed at all, believing he’d simply been overwhelmed by the painful memories stirred up by her words.

From those memories, Ye Zheng learned that Sykes’s life originated from this very bone.

It belonged to the Demonic dragon that would one day bring catastrophic destruction upon the empire. It belonged to Empress Margaret from five hundred years ago, the erased and corrupted Margaret.

The aberrant dragon’s true form was a fusion of a human body and a dragon’s body. This bone differed from any dragon bone seen before; it had clearly been taken from a human.

Based on Ye Zheng’s observations of dragon-human entities, the human body was the core of the Demonic dragon. The dragon’s “human bones” were far more vital than ordinary dragon bones. That might’ve been the reason Sykes was so unusually special.

Ye Zheng carefully put the bone away. There was no doubt it was an extremely important item.

After finishing everything, Ye Zheng cast one final glance at Sykes lying in a pool of blood, then turned and walked away. On her way out, she casually knocked over every decorative candelabra by the window.

At that moment, the skeletal monsters seemed to have gained the sense to weigh danger against opportunity. They watched in silence as Ye Zheng, the one who had just slain a SSS-Class ability user, walked away. Not a single one dared step forward.

Inside the hall, the fire burned even fiercer. Thick smoke choked the air, beams began to collapse, and the raging flames threatened to swallow everything whole.

✧✧✧✧✧

“Why would monsters show up inside the imperial palace? Are these some new specimens raised by the Crown Prince?”

The tall, well-built boy in heavy armor asked in confusion as he raised a barrier to block the skeletal monsters.

Pei Xi swung his metal-transformed arm, smashing one skeleton after another into fragments. These skeletal monsters had strength in numbers, but their bodies were brittle and didn’t put much pressure on the team.

Hearing his teammate Kyle’s question, Pei Xi let out a sigh. “There’s no way someone could raise such an enormous number.”

“It seems that rumor was true.”

Wu Shu, standing behind the fighting Cloud Soarers team, spoke in a leisurely tone, “Even the Upper District has begun to witness Aberrant Realms.”

Roy, who was controlling his flame ability, turned his head and frowned at Wu Shu, who stood there with her arms crossed, simply watching. “Captain Wu Shu, is it really fine for a high-ranking member of the Security Bureau to slack off at a time like this?”

Wu Shu lifted her eyebrows without a trace of guilt. “You don’t get it. The situation right now is extremely bizarre — it’s exactly times like these that require a high-ranking officer like me to oversee the overall situation with complete focus.”

Roy showed a speechless expression. Just as he was about to look away, his face suddenly shifted and his voice turned serious.

“Behind us, there’s an abnormal temperature and extremely strong energy fluctuations.”

At his words, everyone present turned their heads in unison to look behind them. At the far end of the long corridor, there was only a hanging painting. Nothing else appeared out of the ordinary.

Pei Xi’s expression turned grave. Roy specialized in flame magic and had an extremely sharp perception of energy.

Could the core of this Aberrant Realm be located somewhere not far behind them?

Pei Xi felt a headache starting to form. They had secretly entered the imperial palace to make contact with the emperor, yet an Aberrant Realm had just so happened to descend here. The chaos only made it easier for them to be exposed.

He cast a glance at Wu Shu. The woman in the black uniform was no longer smiling, as though she were deep in thought.

They’d disguised themselves as Security Bureau personnel and slipped into the palace by tailing Wu Shu.

Wu Shu’s past interactions with them hadn’t been pleasant. No matter how magnanimous Pei Xi was, he couldn’t possibly hold no grudges against Wu Shu, who’d repeatedly crossed them.

The moment he spotted Wu Shu on the street, he’d immediately grown vigilant. However, Wu Shu had sharp eyes and noticed them first, directly asking about their purpose.

In the alley, Pei Xi had even considered knocking Wu Shu unconscious, she was very likely to expose them. But Roy had tentatively struck up a conversation with her.

Pei Xi, watching from the side, quickly calmed down. He realized Wu Shu’s appearance here was probably not a coincidence.

It was arranged.

Roy’s arrangement, or rather, the emperor’s arrangement.

Wu Shu’s current position was a reward granted by the emperor. She was very likely working for him.

Pei Xi had long suspected that Roy was connected to the emperor. Their ability to enter the Upper District had also relied heavily on Roy’s connections. He had already faintly sensed the emperor’s hand behind it.

After realizing this, he’d allowed Roy and Wu Shu’s conversation to continue. Kyle had anxiously tugged at his sleeve from the side, but Pei Xi had only shot him a look telling him not to make a sound.

He couldn’t say any of this out loud. It would only make things awkward between Roy and the rest of the team, and once the truth was laid bare… he didn’t know how he would face it. There were certain matters he wouldn’t be able to confront directly anymore.

“Let me guess. You sneaked into the Upper District today to get revenge on the Papess who issued warrants for your arrest?”

Wu Shu leaned against the alley wall as she spoke, her tone teasing, a smile playing on her lips.

Pei Xi’s brows drew together tightly. He was just about to deny it when Wu Shu suddenly gave his shoulder a heavy pat and exclaimed in admiration, “You boys really have guts.”

“I admire your courage. How about I take you straight to her?”

Wu Shu smiled in a mysterious way, a faint trace of ill intent hidden within her expression. Even so, based on his own deductions, Pei Xi agreed without any hesitation. Roy also accepted the outcome in silence. Only Kyle looked completely lost.

Fortunately, Wu Shu had indeed led them into the imperial palace.

After clearing out most of the monsters in the corridor, Pei Xi turned his gaze toward the far end of the hallway. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided to press deeper inside.

“The core of the Aberrant Realm is probably back there. Let’s deal with the Aberrant Realm first.”

Wu Shu looked at Pei Xi with a half-smile and said, “Your reason for coming to the imperial palace wasn’t to drive out an Aberrant Realm or is it?”

“We were heading this way from the start anyway. Isn’t that right, Captain Wu Shu?”

Pei Xi’s counter-question actually left Wu Shu momentarily speechless for once. She gave a helpless shrug before resignedly leading the three members of the Cloud Soarers team farther into the palace.

Walking at the front, Wu Shu wore a thoughtful expression as she carefully controlled her pace to keep it even. She couldn’t help wondering whether her little clever trick had created unnecessary complications.

Ye Zheng’s original intention had been for her to monitor Pei Xi and the others’ movements, and report their actions back to her at any given moment.

But by sheer coincidence, while Wu Shu had been leading the security team to maintain order during the Papess’s parade today, she had noticed a security officer behaving suspiciously. After applying a few methods, she learned he’d been assigned a special mission.

Someone had bribed him to disguise three individuals as security officers and slip them into the procession. That group would then follow the Papess’s parade all the way into the imperial palace.

After interrogating him about the targets’ characteristics, Wu Shu had almost instantly matched them to Pei Xi and his teammates.

So she’d simply gone along with the plan. This way, she could openly “monitor” them and even control their movements.

What Wu Shu hadn’t expected was for an Aberrant Realm to descend midway. She’d now lost contact with Ye Zheng and had no idea how to deal with them. She could only lead them around through remote, out-of-the-way corners.

Now that Pei Xi and the others had already sensed the abnormal energy fluctuations and wanted to take the initiative, Wu Shu didn’t have any solid reason to stop them.

She could only handle things one step at a time.

Wu Shu let out a quiet sigh in her heart and couldn’t help but feel a trace of resentment toward Ye Zheng.

Why does she always have to stay so damn mysterious? Is there any objective she can’t just say outright? Even if she wanted them dead, I might’ve been able to do it for her.

The group kept moving deeper into the palace. The sky outside had turned overcast, and most of the lights inside the palace had gone out. The surroundings grew darker and darker, and the scenes they encountered became more and more horrifying.

Countless corpses were strewn across the exquisite carpets. Judging from their clothing, they were almost all palace attendants and servants. Expensive items like leather shoes, silk outer robes, and formal hats were also scattered all over the place.

These skeletal monsters weren’t particularly strong. Based on his experience, Pei Xi estimated that this Aberrant Realm was at most B-rank. Most nobles possessed abilities and had guards to protect them, so an Aberrant Realm at this level wouldn’t be able to threaten their lives.

However, for ordinary servants without any abilities, the sheer number of monsters, combined with the relatively enclosed indoor space and the lack of room to escape, was nothing short of a catastrophe.

Pei Xi’s expression grew heavy, while Wu Shu, who was walking at the front, looked completely grim.

Many of the palace’s low-ranking servants came from the Middle District. It was a position regarded as highly honorable and respectable by the ordinary residents there.

Yet at this very moment, those fellow townspeople who had once carried such pride had been reduced to undignified corpses, lying on the ground with their eyes wide open in terror.

As Wu Shu walked forward, she suddenly came to a halt. She crouched down and gently closed the eyes of a young maidservant in the corner.

She didn’t recognize her. The girl’s face had already been gnawed beyond recognition. She just couldn’t bear to keep looking.

Wu Shu took a deep breath and stood back up. Her steps forward suddenly faltered as she belatedly realized something was wrong.

Where had all the monsters in this area gone?

She hadn’t seen even a single one.

Something wasn’t right. Wu Shu immediately became alert. At the same time, Roy shouted from behind her, “That extremely powerful presence is very close! Everyone, be careful!”

After shouting, Roy glanced at Wu Shu with a hint of surprise as she suddenly picked up her pace at the front. The fox who usually preferred to hang back and wait for the right moment was actually taking the lead at a time like this?

The four of them pressed onward with extreme caution. Along the way, the number of corpses grew fewer, while scattered skeletal remains became more frequent. Wu Shu lowered her gaze and noticed that the carpet had darkened in color. She lifted her brows ever so slightly.

Pei Xi moved up to walk side by side with Wu Shu at the front. As they reached a corner, he extended a hand to stop her, pressing himself flat against the wall as he listened intently.

“Something’s coming.” Pei Xi silently signaled to his teammates.

The four of them waited quietly in the dim corner. The three members of the Cloud Soarers team held their breath. Even without Roy saying a word, they could all sense the immensely powerful presence drawing closer. The oppressive pressure was nearly suffocating.

Pei Xi had already transformed his arm into a razor-sharp metal blade. His gaze remained locked onto the corner of the corridor as he waited for “it” to emerge.

“What are you doing here?”

A gentle voice suddenly rang out. Pei Xi’s heart skipped a beat in shock. He turned toward the source of the voice, looking across the corridor.

Ye Zheng stood before a window on the opposite side of the corridor, her head tilted slightly in apparent confusion as she looked at them.

Outside, the sun was already setting, and the sky had dimmed. The faint afterglow filtered through the stained glass windows, catching in her hair but failing to light up her face. She looked both puzzled and as if she were smiling.

The three members of the Cloud Soarers team stared with wide eyes, looking at the suddenly appeared white-robed Papess in disbelief.

Faced with this sudden encounter, Pei Xi didn’t know how to respond. She was the impostor who had deceived the empire, the enemy who had slandered him and issued warrants for his arrest. Yet at this moment, Pei Xi could only stand there with his mouth slightly open, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, dust began to trickle down from above. His body swayed as he realized the floor was shaking!

Before they could figure out what was happening, the entire corridor began to tremble violently. Cracks spread rapidly across the walls and ceiling, and the rumbling sound of something collapsing in the distance echoed through the halls.

“Leave this place.”

When Pei Xi looked at Ye Zheng again, although she said “leave,” her gaze was fixed deeply toward a certain direction.

Before he could think any further, Ye Zheng had already started to retreat. Pei Xi gritted his teeth and led his teammates as they followed after her.

Wu Shu ran at the very back. Before escaping the palace, she cast a glance toward the corridor beyond the corner the direction Ye Zheng had come from earlier.

That corridor was now completely packed with skeletal remains, piled all the way up to the ceiling. As the beams gave way, they spilled outward like an avalanche.

Wu Shu smiled, then flipped out of a swaying third-floor window and, in the next instant, landed on the open ground not far away.

Ye Zheng leapt down level by level until she reached the ground. She ran to the edge of a cracked fountain and came to a stop, then turned back to look. Never before had her expression been so grave.

Wings that blotted out the sky and sun obscured the fiery red sunset on the horizon, casting an immense black shadow. The once-magnificent palace became as fragile as paper beneath the giant dragon’s feet. Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar, the distant, already crumbling castle collapsed completely.

Ye Zheng stared at the colossal creature in the sky. It possessed a pure dragon’s body, yet she recognized it at a single glance.

She had killed Sykes’s human body and taken away the very source of his life, yet he still wasn’t dead?

The corners of Ye Zheng’s lips curved into a cold, emotionless smile. Instead of shock or confusion, what she felt now was a faint, simmering anger.

The pitch-black giant dragon beat its wings once. A violent gust of wind instantly toppled the surrounding trees. One of its razor-sharp claws pressed against the shattered remains of a tower spire as its agile eyes shifted through the air.

Suddenly, its golden pupils, even more dazzling than the setting sun, froze in place, as if they had locked onto a specific direction.