Chapter 263 – The Avatar of Lord Mu

One and a half hours earlier, Deadbone and his three companions had already arrived at the outskirts of Stone Ridge Town.

They did not join the town’s defending forces.

After all, they were merely four individuals, not four legendary beings. Faced with a tidal wave of hundreds of thousands of monsters, even exhausting themselves wouldn’t make much of a dent.

Take the newly promoted General Uta for example—he could easily instant-kill Fourth-Order BOSS-level creatures, yet going all out would only allow him to eliminate a dozen or twenty at most, and that required the Fourth-Order BOSSes to be gathered in one place.

In such a defensive battle scenario, Uta’s effectiveness paled in comparison to Seventeen’s.

Seventeen alone had slain numerous Fourth-Order BOSSes over the course of a single day, with her firing range covering the entirety of Stone Ridge Town.

Whether it was decapitation strikes, support, or assistance, she excelled in all roles.

But Deadbone’s target wasn’t ordinary monsters—it was the commanders within the monster tide.

After arriving near Stone Ridge Town, Deadbone briefly communicated with Seventeen through their Mental Link, though she had no intelligence on the monster leaders either. Thus, Deadbone could only rely on his own power to search.

His method was simple, brutal, effective, and nearly impossible for others to replicate.

Namely, his Domain.

The Domain was omnipotent.

Deadbone spread his Domain outward while maintaining “minimum Domain consumption”—meaning he didn’t utilize its suppression or various abilities, merely using the Domain as eyes.

Within the Domain’s range, nothing could escape detection.

Deadbone led Rakshasa and the other two, moving like formless ghosts through the monster tide, toggling his Domain radar on and off intermittently.

This maneuver wasn’t easy.

Most powerful beings used their Domains for suppression, delivering decisive blows at critical moments in combat. But for Deadbone, how could the Domain be so simplistic? He had pioneered his Domain back when he broke through to Elite tier, and after all these “years,” developing more applications was only natural.

As expected, Deadbone soon detected three Evil God Servants south of Stone Ridge Town.

Even while concealed, their vast energy reserves shone as brilliantly as Blazing Suns under his Domain’s observation.

The Undead General crept closer.

Deadbone and Red Robe initiated the assault first.

Ghost Market entrapped enemies, Illusions caused disruption; supplemented by suppression from the Undead Holy Mountain and his Domain.

Under the effect of these four layered forces, the Black Crow Servant—who shook off the Illusion influence first—hadn’t even managed to unleash its power before Uta brutally pummeled it to death on the spot.

By now, the Four-Winged Servant and Evil Dragon Servant had awakened.

They hadn’t completely shaken off the Illusion effects but were already capable of fighting. After all, they possessed energy reserves a hundred times greater than Fourth-Order Commander Tier beings—at such magnitude, any influence would be minimized.

The Four-Winged Servant was a humanoid creature with four pairs of tattered wings growing from its back.

The Evil Dragon Servant’s appearance was familiar to Deadbone—it was precisely the Outstanding Three-Star grade “Evil Eye Wyvern,” its third evil eye flickering with a sinister light on its forehead.

But no matter how sinister, none could surpass Red Robe’s eeriness.

Hundreds of ghosts within the Ghost Market now chanted in unison, their uncanny whispers echoing throughout the space.

While the two Servants could still resist, the several Fourth-Order BOSSes and other minor monsters trapped in the Ghost Market had all succumbed to the illusory realm.

Opposing the monsters stood…Deadbone naturally had no fear of the Evil Dragon Attendant’s erosion and illusions, and neither did Red Robe.

Uta, now fully unsealed, was flooded with more than ten times his usual energy—fierce and uncontrollable—instantly sweeping away the Evil Dragon Attendant’s interference.

Rakshasa was affected; he seemed to sink into delusion, but the next moment…

Two additional heads sprouted from his neck, one on each side.

With three minds working in tandem, he shook off 90% of the interference in an instant. He teleported before a Fourth Order BOSS, piercing its neck with the Karma-Burning Fiend Spear, then without a glance transformed into a fiend and charged at another Fourth Order BOSS still trapped in the cycle of illusion, swiftly executing it in the same manner.

Uta rushed toward the Four-Winged Attendant.

Dragging crimson afterimages in his wake, he unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Four-Winged Attendant.

Normal consecutive punches!

Intentional Blast Fist!

Dragon Force Whirlwind!

The Four-Winged Attendant’s energy was too vast; in a direct confrontation, Uta couldn’t quickly annihilate it, especially since he hadn’t yet reached the Fourth Order.

He could only suppress it.

His energy gushed forth like a spring, making his assault even more ferocious than the Four-Winged Attendant’s.

Driven by the raging energy, bulging veins like serpents swelled across Uta’s body, his skin burning crimson, twisted and fearsome like a demon.

“Compared to this guy, we’re unworthy of being divine attendants!”

The Four-Winged Attendant retreated repeatedly.

However, Deadbone knew well that Uta’s endurance was extremely short—lasting only about ten seconds.

They had to act quickly.

Deadbone, holding Death Lament, strode step by step toward the Evil Dragon Attendant.

The Evil Dragon Attendant glared with its three eyes, stirring up a shadowy tide like a tsunami.

This surge, formed from boundless energy, was even more magnificent in scale than Deadbone’s ultimate move from previous versions, ‘Nether River.’

The sheer intensity of the energy within was such that, in just two or three strikes, it could likely shatter the Netherworld Market’s blockade.

“The attendant incarnation possesses far more energy than I do.”

Deadbone murmured.

“But the attendant incarnation is only commendable in terms of energy reserves; beyond that…”

Their utilization of energy was quite crude;

The skills they employed to harness energy were simplistic and low-level;

Their application of techniques could hardly be said to exist at all;

These attendants were like hulking musclemen, possessing nothing but brute strength.

Moreover, the Evil Dragon Attendant primarily wielded shadow energy.

Deadbone was an expert in that domain.

“Energy, submit to me.”

He whispered inwardly, an invisible kingly aura spreading out.

Stirring a storm of black mist.

He was a king walking among mortals, the Dominator and ruler of all undead.

The Evil Dragon Attendant wasn’t an undead being, yet at this moment, Deadbone’s figure in its eyes grew infinitely tall and majestic.

It was as if he beheld a god.

The will to resist within him gradually faded.

“No, that’s not right!”

“This is a general from the human faction, a sworn enemy of the gods!”

“But how can there be such… such a unique existence? Could there truly be a life born to be king?”

“He’s clearly a mortal being!”

“He must not be allowed to live!”

Chaotic thoughts clashed in his mind, until finally, through sheer force of will, the Evil Dragon Attendant began to stir with killing intent.

Thick, murderous intent.

But before he could strike, he realized that the shadowy tide he had just summoned, resembling a tsunami, had somehow frozen mid-air.Like a wave crashing down, it halted mid-fall.

As if time had frozen.

But he knew it hadn’t—what had stilled was the shadow energy between heaven and earth.

Countless particles of energy seemed to bow in submission, yielding to that figure clad in a billowing cloak, sword in hand, whose features remained elusive to memory.

“This seems to be…”

The Legendary Realm—the power to command heaven and earth!

Deadbone was strong, but even he could not defy the laws of nature.

He was not a Legend, so naturally, he could not wield the power of the world. He merely compelled the elemental particles to submit, making them serve his will.

Gathering this energy, Deadbone felt as though he had harnessed the strength of an entire army.

He raised his sword, and behind him, the faint silhouettes of countless warriors materialized. As he swung his heavy sword down, a storm of blades surged forth.

Slash—!!

A torrent of energy, fierce as the Nether River, tore through the Netherworld Market, obliterating countless monsters and leaving a smooth, semicircular trench in the earth.

At the forefront of the trench, the colossal shadow behind the Serpent Attendant lay in tatters.

After all, it was energy of the same origin, so his resistance to it was somewhat higher.

He managed to cling to the last shred of his life, if only barely.

So, Deadbone closed the distance in a few swift strides, unleashing several powerful strikes with his sword, completely annihilating the Serpent Attendant.

The entire sequence took 4.5 seconds.

He turned and charged toward another attendant.

2.5 seconds later.

The four-winged attendant also fell, leaving behind only a shattered Externalization Crystal drifting slowly downward.

Deadbone collected the three Externalization Crystals, then summoned a high-level vampire, ordering it to carry Uta—who was on the brink of death physically but still spirited—as the group swiftly departed the scene.

Afterward, Deadbone circled the vicinity of Stone Ridge Town, eliminating a group of high-level intelligent monsters before vanishing without a trace, leaving nothing behind.

Only Red Robe slipped quietly into the town, arriving at Seventeen’s side.

To assist and protect.

“Stone Ridge Town should be safe now. It’s time for us to return.”

Deadbone gazed in the direction of his territory.

Not long ago, there had been an attack by the Serpent Attendant. Being away from his domain made him uneasy.

…

Over ten minutes later, two figures clad in specialized white combat suits approached from the east.

Each carried a lantern emitting a faint yellow glow. They traversed the monster-infested Wilderness, yet not a single creature assailed them.

“We’ve reached the outskirts of Stone Ridge Town. There are quite a few intelligent monsters here, so stay alert.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Wang. We’ve been through situations like this before. But Stone Ridge Town looks perfectly safe—where’s the supposed crisis?”

Stone Ridge Town was far from secure; countless monsters still assailed its City Walls. From time to time, high-level monsters would leap onto the walls, unleashing carnage and bloodshed.

But Wang Dong and Bai Lingzhi were high-ranking officials of the Taixuan Liangyi, veterans of numerous emergency rescue missions.

Compared to territories on the verge of collapse or already overrun, the current state of Stone Ridge Town seemed remarkably stable.

Supervisor Wang Dong immediately contacted the Stone Ridge Town authorities.

Both the Fishing Old Man and Town Chief Cui Long were baffled.

“Weren’t you two just here?”

Wang Dong and Bai Lingzhi: “???”

Town Chief Cui Long explained, “If it wasn’t you, then who was the powerful ally that swept through and wiped out a large group of high-level monsters before vanishing in a hurry?”

Just moments ago, an intense surge of energy had erupted south of Stone Ridge Town.

Undoubtedly, it was the work of a formidable warrior in combat.Just as the fishing Senior had guessed, there was indeed another fallen deity servant lurking nearby, but it had just been found and eliminated by a powerful ally.

But if the reinforcements weren’t the two big shots Taixuan Liangyi, then who could they be?

Instead, a top-tier expert had appeared within their Stone Ridge Town – an Arrow God!

The Arrow God came from a merchant association called Guangyuan.

Town Chief Cui Long had never heard of this merchant association. It might be from another region, possibly just a small business.

Regardless, once the siege wave receded, he was determined to pay them a visit.

Outside the town,

Wang Dong and Bai Lingzhi couldn’t figure it out, so they simply stopped trying.

“Since Stone Ridge Town is safe, let’s go. We still have missions waiting for us.”

“Mm.”

The two merely found and eliminated a few Fourth Order BOSSes to show they hadn’t come in vain, then quickly departed, heading further north into the Wilderness.

…

A few hours later, Deadbone and the other two returned to Tianyuan Territory.

At this time, in the northern part of the territory, Mu Yuan was repairing the damaged land.

Several patches of Golden Fertile Soil were missing, while the rest that weren’t completely destroyed could be rapidly restored through the rule power of Miracle Buildings by consuming Soul Sand.

However, the land in the central area of the North District remained arid and lifeless.

This was clearly the effect of Filth power. Even though the Land of Filth had completely disappeared, the fertility of this area’s soil remained almost nonexistent.

Even if Golden Fertile Soil were spread here, its effectiveness would be greatly reduced, almost equivalent to ordinary farmland elsewhere.

“We’ll add another mark to our grudge against the Great Serpent.”

However, the Great Serpent’s true form resided deep in the Wilderness, in an ominous land perpetually shrouded in Crimson Mist.

Such areas were beyond the qualifications of him, the minor Lord Mu, to venture into.

Nor did he have the capability to confront the Great Serpent’s true form.

He could only record the grudge for now.

Mu Yuan took the three ‘polluted, broken Externalization Crystals’ handed to him by Deadbone. After purifying them, he stacked these four broken crystals together.

Instantly, a hazy white light emerged as the four crystals slowly merged, transforming into a single flawless crystal within the light.

「Externalization Crystal」

A rare artifact capable of perfectly containing one’s own power and shaping an Incarnation.

Such a treasure, Mu Someone naturally kept for his own use.

He needed it most.

He also wanted to conduct an experiment.

“Refine!”

Using the Externalization Crystal was quite simple. It was like an embryo – whatever power was infused would determine its final form.

Mu Yuan also had extensive experience using Incarnations.

Isloria’s Starlight Avatar, Rakshasa’s Three-Phase Body, Dolai’s split Incarnations.

Half a day later, a true permanent Incarnation was formed.

Mu Yuan carefully contemplated it.

“Similar to Isloria’s Starlight Avatar, the consciousness is connected between the Incarnation and the main body.”

Compared to the Starlight Avatar, this Incarnation didn’t require energy to maintain and could autonomously absorb energy from heaven and earth, as well as Soul Sand energy, to restore itself.

No different from the main body.

Most importantly…

With a thought from Mu Yuan, the permanent Incarnation’s hair lengthened, loading the complete Dolai template.

A prominent Lord’s Mark also appeared on the back of its hand.

“This permanent Incarnation also possesses the special power of a Lord.”

“Of course, rather than saying it possesses it, it would be more accurate to say it extends one’s own power elsewhere.”

This was truly wonderful.Mu Yuan often wanted to use the Lord’s Mark to transport troops, and there were formal occasions that required his presence as the Lord, which could not be delegated to his subordinates.

However, the wilderness was dangerous, and casually venturing out seemed unwise.

What if he encountered a calamity one day?

The external incarnation solved this problem.

“Still, compared to the Starlight Avatar, the external incarnation has its flaws.”

“There is only one external incarnation. Once it is lost, it cannot be reformed. Moreover… if such an incarnation, connected to one’s mind and soul, perishes, it will inflict trauma upon one’s own soul.”

Taking risks was out of the question, and battles were to be avoided as much as possible.

He would simply serve as a quiet battlefield transport.

(End of Chapter)