Chapter 164: The ‘Thing’ That Can Hide the Devils
The situation was more dire than he had thought; the appearance of that creature would surely bring doom to the entire continent. Even though he was now strong enough to face anyone on the continent, he wasn’t sure he could defeat it. A sense of urgency and pressure filled him, warning him that he and the entire continent must prepare for the worst.
"No wonder Duke Badin and the other two duke houses betrayed the continent’s cultivators by working with the devils," he thought. "That creature is beyond anything this continent’s beings can contend with, and their mental fortitude would collapse upon seeing it."
Though the creature he saw in Duke Badin’s memories was only a weaker version of the original, it was still enough to overwhelm anyone with fear. When he first encountered the original alongside the Heavenly Demon, even he had been nearly overcome by fear as well. But his innate resilience, strong mental fortitude, and fierce pride allowed him to transform his fear into rage instead.
If the devils truly plan to summon that creature as a trump card, then the entire continent’s fate will be sealed by prophecy. However, he knew that prophecy was not set in stone. There was a light that would rise to fend off the darkness. The Ivory Empire believed that he was that light, and the Heavenly Direction Church regarded him as the light who would descend to expel the darkness. He really felt the weight of responsibility for the impending battle.
However, amidst this heavy destiny on his shoulders, he remembered what the Heavenly Demon’s wife had told him: his destiny was even greater than that of the Heavenly Demon.
"Yes, if my past is so grand that even the Heavenly Demon’s destiny pales in comparison, then I can also face that creature alone! If the Heavenly Demon could confront it alone, then as the bearer of an even greater destiny, I can certainly face the weaker version of that creature," Aldrian thought resolutely.
"If this is part of my destiny, then so be it. That creature has been getting on my nerves anyway."
With this, he also confirmed that the devils indeed had a connection to that creature. However, he set aside thoughts of the mysterious being for now, focusing instead on the crucial information he had obtained to thwart the devils’ plans.
"So, the ’thing’ that allows the devils hide their true nature isn’t exactly an artifact but rather something they can ingest—created through a collaboration between a blacksmith master, an alchemist, and a cultivator with holy energy. The blacksmith crafts a small item called ’the ball,’ with a diameter like a pill, designed to function as an energy container. The alchemist then takes this ball, placing it into a cauldron with various spiritual herbs, coating it in ingredients that form an outer shell. This shell gives it the appearance and effects of a typical cultivation supplement pill," Aldrian thought.