The Divine Twilight's Return

Chapter 535: Star, the Beast (6)

Paah―!

Sun Wukong quickly turned his upper body and narrowly dodged the Mother Terra Celestial's roots, which were flying like tentacles. After heaving a sigh of relief for successfully avoiding the attack, he reached out for his Replicated [Ruyi Jingu Bang].

Give. Me. Food.

However, before he could, spatial gaps surrounded him, and more of the Divine Tree's roots flew out of them.

“Shit!”

Sun Wukong quickly extended his arm forward instead of pulling out the Replicated [Ruyi Jingu Bang]. He then launched the Heavenly Bracket Flame Wheel, which he had completed through a long cultivation.

Rummmble―!

The fire swiftly crept up the Divine Tree’s roots and trunk, closing in on the core in no time.

Crack!

Some of the Divine Tree fragments in the air turned into roots again, and one of them managed to stab Sun Wukong in the abdomen. He immediately grabbed the root with two hands to break free.

“Aaargh!” he screamed, his eyes turning bloodshot.

Riiiip!

After tearing away the root, Sun Wukong tried to draw up his divine power to close up the hole in his abdomen. However, [Gaia's Curse], which had already deeply infected him, took over every part of him except his head instead.

Stab―! Stab, stab!

The vines flying at him pierced into his chest, arms, and legs.

Paaaah―!

Hiss, hiss, hissss!

Sun Wukong's already white face turned paler as he began to slowly disintegrate.

[The <Myths> of the Celestial ‘Ill-Tempered Buddha with Golden Eyes’ are crumbling down!]

“You're just an old monster who couldn’t even defeat <Dull Darkness> and <Deus Ex Machina>! How dare you...!” Sun Wukong trailed off and gritted his teeth hard, realizing what the Mother Terra Celestial's plan was.

Give. Me. Your. Power. Existence.

The Mother Terra Celestial wasn’t going after Sun Wukong just to acquire more energy for her resurrection. What she truly wanted was the Divinity of <Supreme Light>, the power that created a universe in a vast, empty space. Although it was uncertain if it would be of use to her, since the Mother Terra Celestial also represented fertility, she must have concluded that it would be a great help in her resurrection.

Even though he wasn't an Original, Sun Wukong was very proud of the fact that he was a <Supreme Light's Face>. However, because of it, the remnant of an old Celestial, who hadn't even contributed to the universe's creation, was now coming after him. He was naturally angry! <Deus Ex Machina>, Chang-Sun, the Mother Terra Celestial... he wanted to kill everyone who was mocking him.

“I'm not... letting you people have your way...” Sun Wukong snickered.

[The Celestial ‘Ill-Tempered Buddha with Golden Eyes’ has self-destructed to create an intense explosion!]

Deciding to die with everyone, Sun Wukong blew himself up and destroyed the Divinity of <Supreme Light>, which lay dormant within him like a seed, since he would never use it again.

Paaah!

A pool of golden light—his <Supreme Sacred Light>—enveloped Sun Wukong, who was now in his Spiritual Body. Although it was only for a split second, his Divine Light Wheel drove away [Gaia's Curse] and engulfed the Divine Tree vines that had pierced through him in flames. It then instantly struck the Divine Tree’s core and tore apart the fog corrupted by the curse, purifying it.

Ah. Ah. Hurts. It. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts.

Thud, thud, thud...!

Tiamat the Beast writhed in pain. As golden flames enveloped the Divine Tree, its branches fell like rain.

‘It worked,’ Sun Wukong thought.

He believed that the Mother Terra Celestial's natural enemy was <Supreme Light>. Burning up the Divine Tree using the Celestial Fire purified it, damaging not only Tiamat but also the Mother Terra Celestial’s true form, which had been preparing to descend from beyond.

The Celestial Fire’s fuel was Sun Wukong's <Myths>, not ordinary Celestial Fire, which meant he would have to co-destruct with the Mother Terra Celestial. However, although he would be dying here today, he would at least be able to significantly damage the Mother Terra Celestial, whom even <Deus Ex Machina> could only seal. He might even be able to stop her resurrection and annihilate her for good.

Such an accomplishment would last in the Great Universe's history for eternity, and his name would never be forgotten. It could even lead to Sun Wukong's resurrection since a Celestial was created from <Myths> and Faith.

There was even a precedent for such an event. After reigning over the entire universe as a glorious Celestial King, Kronos, Saturn's Original, eventually plummeted. However, since his fame and accomplishments were known all over the Great Universe, superseding even his Original's, he managed to return to his throne.

Nothing was stopping Sun Wukong from becoming like the Celestial who had fathered the twins <Dull Darkness> and <Deus Ex Machina>!

Stab!

However, Sun Wukong's train of thought was quickly stopped by a burning sensation in his nape. Running his hand across his neck, he felt the tip of a sword protruding out of it.

‘... When?’

『You’ve got a wild fantasy playing in your head, don’t you? Unfortunately, it will never be more than a mere dream.』

Chang-Sun had thrown his sword at him.

‘Until... the end...!’

Sun Wukong wanted to say that Chang-Sun fought dirty until the end, but he couldn’t even speak anymore.

Slash!

At that moment, his head was decapitated, sending it flying in the air. Soon after the world around him stopped spinning, darkness engulfed his vision.

[The Celestial ‘Ill-Tempered Buddha with Golden Eyes’ has been annihilated!]

My. Food. My. Nourishment. Not. Letting Go.

With Sun Wukong now gone, the Mother Terra Celestial found herself in a hurry. No longer able to get a supply of energy from the ‘outside,’ acquiring <Supreme Sacred Light> became her only hope to completely resurrect. However, she had just watched her final option disappear. She desperately tried to devour as many of Sun Wukong’s scattered fragments as possible, but the <Supreme Sacred Light> explosions all over the area forced her to lay low.

Chang-Sun redirected the swords that he had used to hunt Sun Wukong and fired the swords that he had nocked on his bow toward Tiamat.

Swish, swoosh, swish―!

What. You. Do.

Grrrrrrr!

Tiamat—no, the Mother Terra Celestial growled in annoyance. The damage she had sustained from the <Supreme Sacred Light> explosions was already slowing down her descent, and now she got interrupted again... by the same person who had ruined her spawning ground at <Nihil>.

With everything about Chang-Sun making her angrier, she found herself wanting to kill him. However, since even she would have a hard time accomplishing that, she used Tiamat to forcibly open a spatial gap and whip the Divine Tree’s vines toward Chang-Sun.

Work.

The Mother Terra Celestial believed it worked, but witnessing Chang-Sun disappear like a fog swiftly made her realize how wrong she was. Instead of him, she only hit a decoy!

Finally figuring out that this was all Chang-Sun’s ploy to distract her, she quickly sharpened her senses to find out where he was hiding. However, it was already too late.

[The Authority 'Avatar's Descent’ has been activated, restricting the Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’!]

[The Authority ‘Avatar's Descent has been applied again, restricting the Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ even further.]

[The Authority ‘Avatar's Descent has been applied again, restricting the Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ even further.]

...

[The Quirinale Power has been used, temporarily designating the area as your domain!]

The Mother Terra Celestia’s face crumpled. With <Deus Ex Machina’s> power stopping her once more, she could no longer control Tiamat like a puppet.

Dangerous.

To make matters worse, she couldn’t free herself from Chang-Sun, who had complete control over the area.

『Now!』 Chang-Sun commanded.

[The Celestial ‘Tsunami Bringer’ starts a raging storm as he says that he has been waiting for you to give him the word!]

[The Celestial ‘Antlered Animal King’ has activated all his Authorities at full strength!]

[The Celestial ‘Plague Monarch’ is spraying all her lethal toxins!]

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ has delivered her Divine Punishment of Justice!]

...

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ is pulling her bowstring as far back as possible!]

...

[A Sudden Event has been started!]

[The Sudden Event “United Army's Animal Hunt” has begun!]

At Chang-Sun's command, the United Army's special unit came out of hiding and simultaneously opened fire.

Boom, boom, boom―!

Rummble―!

Tiamat and the Divine Tree were bombarded with numerous Authority attacks. Not even Tiamat, now a Beast whose level had to be measured using the Great Universe’s scale, could sustain the Great Celestials' barrage of attacks and come out unscathed.

Hooooowl!

A plaintive howl echoed across the collapsing Imaginary Plane, sending shivers down the Great Celestials’ spines.

Kill. You.

Chang-Sun opened a spatial gap and appeared right in front of Tiamat's eyes. While withstanding the collapsing world’s pressure, he took seven steps and hit Tiamat's eye with a right spear-hand strike.

Shhhk!

Hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Kill. Kill.

Thud, thud, thud!

With her eye destroyed, Tiamat writhed in pain once more. Unable to vent her agony due to the restrictions on Tiamat, the Mother Terra Celestial became so frustrated that she felt as if she was going to go insane.

[The restriction is destabilizing!]

[The restriction durability is drastically decreasing!]

...

[Warning! Your Divine Body is taking immense damage!]

Tiamat's writhing was also greatly affecting Chang-Sun, who was using his power and Authority. With his Divine Body reeling, he began to feel dizzy, and his head began to spin. To counter it, he concentrated harder and traveled deeper inside until he finally found what he had been looking for.

Right in front of Chang-Sun was a child hugging her legs. Although she was fast asleep, she still looked terrified by the ghosts grimacing in pain around her. It took him no time at all to realize that it was Tiamat’s personality, driven into the corner of her soul because of the Mother Terra Celestial. Tiamat's true personality was far from the mighty Celestial King that she always appeared to be.

“Tiamat!” Chang-Sun shouted.

He believed that this was the side that Tiamat had kept to herself. Since she had always needed to look like a formidable ruler in front of everyone, she couldn't be true to her own fear. Unfortunately, that was exactly what led her to her current condition.

Tiamat, who had buried her head between her knees, slowly looked up. Her blank gaze fell on Chang-Sun.

“Twi... light...?” she murmured.

“Take my hand.” Chang-Sun smiled gently, holding out his hand for her. “It's time for you to go home.”

Tiamat’s eyes regained focus. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she could take his hand. However, when he lightly waved it, urging her to take it, she finally accepted his offer.

Chang-Sun smiled crookedly. “Hang on tight. It's going to be quite a ride.