Chapter 217

Throne of the Aberrant Realm Chapter 278 was unexpectedly released on this very day. Readers who received the update notification immediately opened the newly published chapter.

Pei Xi and his two teammates successfully rescued Lu Qi from Sela’s control. In order to expose the truth behind the divine sword and prevent Papess Ye Zheng from continuing to deceive the world, the Cloud Soarers team decided to travel to the Upper District and use the Emperor’s authority to return the true divine sword to its rightful place.

However, Lu Qi refused to accompany them.

Ye Zheng had once saved her life, and she did not wish to do anything that might harm her.

Moreover, the matter between herself and Sela still remained unresolved. She couldn’t simply turn around and flee from it like this.

The three of them respected her decision and departed for the Upper District. Meanwhile, Sykes, who had been placed under house arrest inside a shelter in the Lower District, finally learned the truth of his real birth date. After recovering all the memories he had forgotten, he became consumed by overwhelming hatred toward his own birth, toward the mastermind who had orchestrated everything — his father — and toward this very world that expected him to become its beacon of hope.

Sykes could no longer endure the hatred and fury raging within him. He crushed the note Ye Zheng had once given him and resolved that, on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, he would completely cast aside the duties and expectations attached to the name “Sykes.” Just as everyone desired, he would become a genuine monster destined to destroy the world.

The banquet hall rang with the clinking of glasses and lively conversation, everyone gathered around the young Papess like stars encircling the moon. That vibrant atmosphere was abruptly snuffed out by the arrival of an uninvited guest.

Sykes summoned an Aberrant Realm on the spot. The crowd screamed and scattered in panic, leaving only Ye Zheng standing face-to-face with him in the entire banquet hall.

【Sykes really nailed it!】

【Wahaha, welcome the number one villain of Throne of the Aberrant Realm!】

【This scene seriously feels like the peak of a final boss confrontation. So far, Sykes still comes across as the crazier one.】

【Ye Zheng’s the type who schemes step by step and works from behind the scenes. I still prefer Sykes’ wildly arrogant brand of madness.】

【Blowing up the palace and killing the Papess — damn, Emperor Sykes!】

【This double-villain dynamic is so damn satisfying!】

The barrage of comments exploded after Sykes summoned the Aberrant Realm. Almost every reader who reached this point believed this was the chapter’s biggest highlight.

At that moment, no one could've imagined that what followed would trigger yet another massive reversal, one that would ignite a storm of controversy comparable to , when the Zhao Mei identity was exposed or Ye Zheng drew her sword in Chapter 263.

Sykes was confronting Ye Zheng, yet the manga panel abruptly shifted to Pei Xi’s perspective. Guided by Wu Shu, they were heading off to find the Emperor. Along the way, an Aberrant Realm descended, and a violent earthquake shook the area. While escaping the palace, Pei Xi and the others unexpectedly ran into Ye Zheng.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the monster to emerge from around the corner. Then a voice spoke: “What are you doing here?” The camera angle shifted, revealing the young Papess dressed in white standing opposite them, looking at them in confusion.

Inside the manga, Pei Xi was startled. Outside the manga, the readers’ hearts skipped a beat as well. Ye Zheng had clearly been fighting Sykes only moments earlier. Yet now she appeared completely unharmed. Could it be that Sykes…

But the readers who continued onward soon let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that Sykes had died — he had transformed into his Demonic Dragon form. His world-destroying presence made it seem as though he intended to flatten the entire Upper District.

Immediately afterward, with the support of his two teammates, Pei Xi wielded the divine sword and launched into a fierce battle against Demonic Dragon Sykes. The combat panels were immensely satisfying, packed with close-up expressions brimming with tension. Readers could practically feel the urgency and adrenaline surging through the battle, exclaiming that this was what true hot-blooded shonen manga looked like.

However, Pei Xi was still no match for Sykes. After delivering a heavy strike against Sykes with his sword, Pei Xi himself collapsed unconscious. His two companions hurriedly hid him away.

Just as the readers were anticipating how Pei Xi would stop Sykes after regaining consciousness, Wu Shu suddenly appeared and attempted to seize the divine sword.

Kyle and Roy immediately fought against her. Only then did Roy realize that Wu Shu was not someone arranged by the Emperor — she was one of Papess Ye Zheng’s people. Only Ye Zheng would choose this exact moment to steal the real divine sword!

【Our great Zheng God has begun her villain arc once again】

【So the protagonist team’s every action has been under Ye Zheng’s control all along. As expected of the true mastermind of Throne of the Aberrant Realm!】

【No wonder Ye Zheng is the villain. While the protagonist team risks their lives resisting the Demonic Dragon, she attacks them for her own gain at such a critical moment. The difference between them couldn’t be clearer.】

【Don’t let me catch any of you who were calling Sykes handsome and overpowered earlier now turning around and criticizing Ye Zheng.】

【In a world ruled by abilities where the strong dominate, does Ye Zheng even dare to step out and fight fairly?】

Whenever the plot involved Ye Zheng — even when she didn’t appear personally — the comment section would once again explode into heated arguments. The number of comments even surpassed those during Sykes’ major highlight scenes.

In the manga, Wu Shu’s surprise attack ended in failure. The divine sword seemed as though it had fused directly with Pei Xi’s hand. Unable to seize it, she immediately revealed her killing intent. Roy and Kyle were left with no choice but to fight Wu Shu.

Just as Wu Shu shattered Kyle’s defensive weak point and was about to slash Roy’s throat, Pei Xi awakened in time and forced her back.

During his unconsciousness, Pei Xi had established a deeper connection with the divine sword. As his power continued to grow, he also witnessed fragmented visions of the past. He looked toward the roaring black dragon in the distance, tightened his grip on the divine sword, and prepared himself to stop Sykes.

Readers beyond the screen were equally thrilled, eagerly awaiting the second clash between Pei Xi and Sykes. The Sword of the God of Hope against the resurrected Demonic Dragon, it truly felt like a confrontation destined by fate.

Right on cue, the sky opened up with torrential rain, veiling the battlefield in drifting mist. Pei Xi strode toward the ruined hunting grounds. The manga author used an intensely striking perspective shot to portray Pei Xi’s resolute back as he advanced forward.

Immediately afterward, the golden-eyed black dragon tore itself free from the tangled mass of white threads. It let out a thunderous roar, spread its sky-shrouding wings, and surged into the air.

A monumental battle between the protagonist and his fated rival seemed moments away from erupting.

【—Snap】

A sharp onomatopoeic rang out.

A close-up shot of two clasped hands.

The blazing, high-tension atmosphere the manga had painstakingly built suddenly went cold. A chill spread from Pei Xi straight to the readers beyond the screen.

Fingers slid across the page. Ye Zheng’s calm face occupied the entire vertical panel. Her palms were pressed together, her black eyes half-lowered, her expression serene and devout, as though she were offering a prayer.

In the very next panel, countless lines of water materialized in mid-air, resembling cracks abruptly spreading across a phone screen.

Within the manga, the water lines reflected a frigid, thread-like gleam beneath the moonlight.

【Bang!】

The countless water lines tightened all at once. The enormous dragon soaring through the air was instantly twisted apart into shredded pieces. Mountains of flesh and a torrential rain of blood came crashing down!

The spraying blood dissolved the moment it reached Ye Zheng. Not a single drop stained her body. With nothing more than a simple gesture and an utterly calm expression, she delivered an overwhelming shock to every reader!

Before the readers could even recover from the impact, Ye Zheng discovered Sykes lying amidst the remains of the black dragon’s corpse. The golden-haired Crown Prince had completely lost the arrogance and murderous intent he once possessed. Hovering on the brink of death, he looked terrifyingly fragile.

At that moment, the Emperor arrived with his entourage. He pleaded with Ye Zheng to hand Sykes over to him. After all, Sykes was still his son.

In a close-up expression panel, Ye Zheng appeared to be contemplating something.

“Farewell.”

“This is the only redemption I can offer you.”

Beneath the luminous moonlight, the water lines flashed coldly. A bloodstained cut surfaced across Sykes’ throat.

The light faded from his golden pupils, their highlights extinguished like lifeless crystal spheres. Within them was reflected Ye Zheng’s expression — merciless, yet faintly touched by compassion. It became the final sight he witnessed before death.

The comment section instantly exploded. The barrage of comments became so dense that it nearly obscured the manga panels themselves.

Beneath the giant screen in the shopping mall, Tang Mingxi and Li Yixin instinctively lifted their heads at the same moment, only to see the same stunned disbelief mirrored in each other’s eyes.

During that silent exchange between them, the mall’s giant screen switched back to Ye Zheng’s birthday illustration. The Saintess Papess holding the lantern had her eyes lowered gently, as though she were quietly watching the two tiny figures standing amid the bustling crowds and endless traffic.

✧✧✧✧✧

Forum.

【Huh?】 【Hot】

【1L: Huh?】

【2L: Huh?】

【3L: Can someone become a magical girl, travel back in time, and save me before I opened Throne of the Aberrant Realm?】

【4L: I’m losing my fucking mind… Don’t tell me Sykes is actually dead. I’m about to transform into a witch on the spot.】

【5L: Hahaha, so this is the so-called fated rival? Hold on, why the hell did my fated rival get express-delivered straight to the afterlife?】

【6L: Huh? I haven’t read the update yet. What do you mean? Sykes died?】

【7L: Unless there’s some kind of reversal later on, then yeah, he’s dead.】

【8L: ??? The combat ceiling of Throne of the Aberrant Realm died in a single chapter? How the hell did he die?】

【9L: Ye Zheng practically slapped him to death with a single palm strike (not literally).】

【10L: (Language too extreme, blocked by admin for violating regulations.)】

【11L: Damn old rat, just look at the bullshit you drew! You spent so long building him up, only to give him such a clown-ass ending. Do you even deserve the characters you create?】

【12L: Bros, drawing hot-blooded shonen fight scenes demands way too much artistic skill. Is there any easier way to draw them?】

【13L: Yeah, there is, bros. Just have Ye Zheng slap the character to death with one palm. Time-saving and effortless.】

【14L: Please tell me you guys are trolling. How could Sykes go offline this early?】

【15L: (Screenshot of Sykes’ death.)】

【16L: I’m crying so hard my hands are shaking while typing. Today’s literally Sykes’ birthday. Why’d they have to do him this dirty?】

……

【93L: Even more shocking than Sykes’ death is Ye Zheng’s strength. She casually one-shotted a SSS-CLASS powerhouse. What level is she even at now?】

【94L: Even though Sykes died in a pretty pathetic way, that palm-strike scene from Ye Zheng drove me insane. So fucking cool.】

【95L: There’s no need to argue about who the number one villain is anymore. Ye Zheng already killed off every other villain!】

【96L: I can already see people losing their minds again, claiming Ye Zheng has plot armor. Has it never occurred to them that her original character setting might’ve always been this absurdly oppressive villain?】

【97L: Seriously, one second Pei Xi was gearing up for a fight to the death against Sykes, and the next second Ye Zheng calmly twisted him into pieces. That overwhelming sense of oppression and shock practically bursts right through the screen.】

【98L: Guys, I’m already starting to wonder how Pei Xi’s even supposed to fight Ye Zheng. She’s top-tier in both intelligence and combat ability, and her popularity is insanely high both inside and outside the manga.】

【99L: Pei Xi: Me? Fight Ye Zheng? (points at confused face emoji)】

【100L: There’s no time to mourn Sykes’ death! Because stepping onto the stage next is—】

Tang Mingxi scrolled through the forums and every major social media platform all the way home. Even after returning to her bedroom, she still couldn’t put her phone down. The excitement surging through her emotions simply refused to settle.

【385L: Normally, I only dare post those extreme “foot-braking male treasure” comments when I’m solo stanning. Then I look up and realize… holy shit, Goddess, you actually foot-braked the male treasure yourself?!】

【386L: Ahhhhh, these hell jokes!】

【387L: This is exactly how our precious Zheng pampers her fans. Why the hell aren’t you hurrying up and joining the Zheng cult already?】

The explosive plot development of Sykes’ death spread across every platform overnight, fermenting into a full-scale frenzy.

The Throne of the Aberrant Realm anime was currently airing and had reached explosive levels of popularity, with millions of viewers following it every week. Its discussion volume ranked first for the entire season, and fan-created content across every platform was thriving.

The news of Sykes’ death in the latest manga chapter instantly sent shockwaves through the entire anime-viewing community.

They had only just watched Sykes dominate every opposing team during the Upper District ability tournament — arrogant, overwhelmingly powerful, and utterly unrivaled. In the world of ability users, where strength ruled above all else, a character like him naturally possessed enormous popularity.

So how the hell could Sykes just die like that? Was he killed by the protagonist, Pei Xi?

Not Pei Xi? They heard he’d been casually one-shotted?

Wait a second, then who the hell was this Ye Zheng who could casually one-shot Sykes?