Chapter 623 - 616: Lost Contact
"True Realm Seal!"
As Doctor Nightmare let out a low growl, the countless invisible maws and chasms in the surrounding space lunged at Zhou Yuanjue, intent on devouring him.
His body began to blur as an unknown Energy invaded him. He was even losing control of his own body.
This should have been nearly impossible, as his Spirit and body had long since merged into one.
It meant that in this moment, his Spirit, his body, and all his other powers were being suppressed by that immense, unknown force.
He could feel his vision blurring, the world before him seeming to overlap with some form of boundless darkness.
He couldn’t unleash his power. His Spirit and body were completely immobilized.
This was the first time Zhou Yuanjue had ever encountered such a situation.
Just as the Master of Nightmares had said, there were still things in this world that surpassed his knowledge and imagination. And now, he was facing one of them.
A mighty Primordial Ancestor was actually willing to shatter his own Origin Power just to activate this technique.
This was likely the gateway to the so-called "True Realm." Based on his opponent’s words, it was a world of Energy, distinct from the material world and filled with an infinitely vast power. If one couldn’t transform the essence of their body to match that level, rushing into such a place from the material world would have unimaginable consequences.
It would be like a Martial Artist who had not yet reached the Saint Awakening Realm having their willpower magnetic field stripped from their body and exposed to the endless Natural Magnetic Field.
The violent turbulence of the magnetic field would rip a Spirit magnetic field that wasn’t strong enough to shreds, causing it to vanish completely. The world of Energy was likely no different.
’This is bad...’
Zhou Yuanjue immediately realized the gravity of the situation. This time, he had misjudged the Celestial Demon.
In his experience, Celestial Demons were beings that always weighed the pros and cons, careful to preserve their own strength. He’d thought that from an Ancestral Level being’s perspective, his power, while formidable and somewhat troublesome, was by no means insurmountable. He had assumed a Celestial Demon would be unlikely to risk everything in a desperate fight.
But this time, his judgment had been wrong. Compared to other Celestial Demons, the Master of Nightmares, a Primordial Ancestor, was far more decisive than he had ever imagined once he truly made a move.
’I have to abandon this body...’
Zhou Yuanjue made an instant decision.
Although abandoning this body and regenerating a new one—along with his Spirit—using the other "backups" he had left behind would consume a great deal of time and effort, and might even give the Celestial Demons an opportunity to strike, he had no other choice at this point.
After all, if he was truly converted and sent into that so-called "True Realm," there was no telling what would happen.
However, he discovered that he couldn’t even control his cells to disintegrate and abandon his body. He had lost the mysterious connection to the many "backups" he had left behind in the material world.
"It’s useless. At this point, you exist between the material and the energetic. Your primary True Spirit has already begun to convert along with your body into another world. In a sense, everything you left in the material world will ’die’ because of this. While the material and the energetic are parallel, they both exist within one universe. And in one universe, there can only be one you!"
"Unless you are a being who can completely traverse both realms, you have no way to resist."
"For me to pay such a price with my Primordial Ancestor’s body... you can now go in peace. This world will be ours!"
As he spoke, the Master of Nightmares suddenly poured in more power, accelerating the process of transitioning between the two realms.
Zhou Yuanjue’s body gradually vanished from the Nightmare City, until all that remained was nothingness.
All traces of him had been completely erased from this world. Or rather, they had vanished from the purely material world.
HUFF!! HUFF!!!
Staring at the now-empty Nightmare City, the Master of Nightmares gasped for breath, showing signs of exhaustion from the immense power he had expended. But the smile on his face grew ever more rampant and terrifying.
HAHAHAHA!!
Deafening, maniacal laughter echoed through the Nightmare City. The entire Nightmare Space trembled—the city crumbled, the sky cracked open, and the ground sank. This was the "price" the Master of Nightmares had paid.
However, feeling Zhou Yuanjue’s presence vanish completely from the material world, the Master of Nightmares felt the price was well worth it.
His laughter gradually subsided. The surroundings were an apocalyptic scene, and his own condition was equally dire. But a smile spread across his face.
"Now, this world is ours."
The Master of Nightmares said with a smile, his gaze seemingly piercing through the ruined Nightmare City to look upon the entire azure planet.
...
...
「Elsewhere.」
In Bosha Country, after Zhou Yuanjue vanished into thin air, the three Venerables whose lives he had saved by throwing them to safety immediately sprang into action. With the utmost speed, they transmitted all information about what had transpired to the Donghua Secret Inspection Bureau.
The news was treated with the highest priority by the Secret Inspection Bureau and delivered to the Chief Commissioner immediately.
The Chief Commissioner, showing extreme concern, immediately summoned Chen Qingmu, Lei Yi, and the other experts remaining in Shangjing. He also contacted the Four Guardians via video conference to discuss how to respond to the situation.
"This was likely another attack by the Celestial Demons targeting Yuan Jue. According to the information provided by Venerable Brahma Kekao, Doctor Nightmare of the Starry Sky Country may have fully revived, achieving his complete Primordial Ancestor form. That would explain how he could launch such an inconceivable attack."
"At present, we still don’t know where Yuan Jue has gone or what danger he’s in. Does anyone have any suggestions on this matter?" the Chief Commissioner asked the high-ranking officials present in a grave voice.
"The methods of a Primordial Ancestor are beyond our comprehension. To be blunt, we don’t even have the right to interfere. But I have faith in Yuan Jue. Think of how far he’s come, step by step. How many risks has he faced? How many crises has he overcome? He’s walked through them all. He is a creator of miracles. Even if his strength is currently no match for the Celestial Demon, he should be able to escape safely," Lei Yi said.
"I agree," Chen Qingmu said with a nod. "Yuan Jue’s realm and power have long surpassed our own. It’s not our place to worry about his safety. What we should be most concerned about right now is whether they will use the period of Yuan Jue’s disappearance to plot something. That would be the most serious threat."
Everyone present had watched Zhou Yuanjue’s rise step by step. They knew how many near-impossible miracles he had created. On a subconscious level, they all had an almost blind faith in him.
No matter the danger, it couldn’t stop him. No matter the predicament, he could create a miracle.
In the Martial Arts Realm, he himself was synonymous with miracles.
"I think so too, but for some reason, I have a really bad feeling about this..." the Chief Commissioner began to say. However, before he could finish his sentence, his expression changed drastically in the next instant, twisting with utter shock and horror.