"Epic power... it's overwhelming!" This was Muria's thought as he observed the scene from within the world through his avatar. He could clearly see what happened when the sea of lightning engulfed the entire world.
Countless bolts of golden lightning, seemingly capable of obliterating everything, rained down from the sky, annihilating every single one of the evil god's minions. However, any living creatures aside from the evil minions, even those accidentally struck by the lightning, were unharmed. It was as if the lightning couldn't touch them.
"Such immense power, yet my ancestor controls it perfectly." Muria understood that it wasn't that the lightning was harmless; it was his Titan ancestor's incredible mastery over his power. He could decide who his lightning harmed, and who remained untouched—even allowing beings to bathe in the lightning without so much as a scratch.
As the sea of lightning descended, the terrified natives soon realized they weren't in danger. When they saw the golden lightning rain down like divine judgment, purging their world of the evil that had invaded, they quieted down and simply watched.
The thunderstorm that blanketed the entire world lasted an entire day and night. Nearly all the evil god's minions were wiped out, including those hidden deep underground. The lightning penetrated the earth, destroying and purifying every last one of them.
Then, as silently as it had arrived, the sea of lightning vanished without a trace, just as it had appeared.
"Is it over?" Muria, standing outside the world, stared dumbfounded at the scene. His thoughts were synchronized with his avatar inside the world, and he had just witnessed the entire purging process, a sight that greatly broadened his horizons. It showed him just how powerful a single being could become.
"It's not over yet!" said the Mountain Dragon King, whose personality was as steady as his power, speaking in a calm tone.
Muria quickly focused his attention on his Titan ancestor, Gulruk Lord, watching his next move.
He saw his massive, ten-thousand-meter-tall ancestor extend his hand toward the world below and squeeze it tightly. To Muria's astonishment, the entire world beneath him seemed to tremble.
He could faintly feel a sense of fear emanating from the world itself, and even a vague plea for mercy. Muria wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the sensation was there nonetheless.
Soon, Muria's feeling was confirmed as he overheard the three Dragon Kings conversing. They didn't seem to hide their conversation from him, perhaps intentionally allowing him to hear.
"Thirty thousand years of life, and he can make a world tremble like this. He's not far from the power of an ancient god."
"Did you hear it? This world is begging him for mercy, even though he's helping it. Foolish, but then again, with power like this, it's no wonder the world is confused. Do you think he's reached the fifth tier of Epic—Eternal?"
"Not quite! I'll admit his power is impressive, but it's not Eternal. An Eternal Epic could create a world on their own. While this level of power can destroy a mid-sized world, it's still far from threatening a large one, let alone creating one."
Muria listened carefully, committing their words to memory. At the same time, his eyes remained fixed on Gulruk Lord.
Gradually, Muria saw his ancestor extracting wisp after wisp of black mist from the world. As the mist was drawn out, the world's cries of distress slowly faded away.
"How dare you offend the great evil lord, Abhoth! You dare to seize my power? Pathetic creature from another realm, are you prepared to face my wrath?"
The black mist that the Epic Titan pulled from the world coalesced into a formless entity, emitting a vile, soul-corrupting sound. It was the ultimate source of twisted, grotesque corruption, making Muria feel sick to his core. The very sight of it invoked an instinctive hatred, as if it were the enemy of all living things.
"Evil Lord Abhoth? Never heard of such a lowly creature. Where do you find the courage to speak such nonsense before me?" The Epic Titan listened to the entity's words with indifference and then casually crushed it in his hand.
"No need to wait for you to come to me. I'll come to you. Let's see what kind of creature you are that dares to spout such foolishness before me. A worm? Heh, it's been eons since anyone dared to call me that. Now, where did I kill the last fool who tried?"
Boom!
The void twisted and collapsed before the Epic Titan, forming a massive black hole. As soon as the hole appeared, a filthy black fog poured out, along with endless tendrils that reached toward the Titan.
"This? Is that all you've got? Ridiculous!" Gulruk snorted. In response to his voice, endless golden lightning appeared, instantly obliterating the black fog and vaporizing the twisted creatures hidden within.
After wiping out everything that had come through the portal, the evil god on the other side hesitated, clearly unsure how to deal with Gulruk—or perhaps even considering fleeing.
"Get over here, worm!" When there was no further movement from the other side, Gulruk didn't wait idly. He reached into the black hole, aiming for the strongest presence he sensed on the other side.
Muria watched as his ancestor's arm disappeared into the black hole. He couldn't see what Gulruk was grabbing, but he could hear the howls and explosions emanating from the void. Gulruk's face even showed a faint smile, indicating that he was enjoying himself.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Muria saw the Titan's smile freeze. His expression quickly returned to its usual emotionless state, and Muria could sense a wave of displeasure from him.
"Coward!" Gulruk pulled his arm back out of the black hole. In his hand was a mass of writhing flesh, emitting a foul, corrosive stench so vile that even the surrounding void began to sizzle.
Bang! Lightning exploded from the Titan's hand, instantly obliterating the mass of flesh, which let out a final, hate-filled scream.
"Damn you! I will not let this go. Someday, you will pay the price."
"Soon? Hah!" Gulruk sneered, his contempt evident. "Why wait for 'someday'? I'll deal with you right now. Let's see how many punches it takes to kill you!"
"Tch, typical Titan behavior. Whether strong or weak, they always have the same style," muttered the Starshine Dragon King in admiration. The Platinum Dragon God hadn't tasked them with eliminating the evil god—only with clearing the corruption in this world.
Buzz!
Just as Gulruk was about to step into the black hole to chase after the evil god, the world below let out a loud hum, causing even Muria to glance down.
The Titan, too, paused, looking down at the world he had just saved from destruction.
In Muria's astonished gaze, the world suddenly shone with blinding light. The once dim world barrier flared to life, growing so bright it was nearly blinding.
Then, rays of light shot up from the barrier, gathering in front of Gulruk Lord. A crystalline sphere, radiant with an ancient, primordial aura, materialized before him.
"What is that?" Muria's eyes were fixed on the crystalline droplet, radiating a sense of boundless creation and transformation.
"It's world essence! This world's will knows its place and understands the rules," said the Tide Dragon King, his voice tinged with undisguised envy. Essence was something all Epics coveted, and no amount was ever too much.
"World essence?" Muria stared at the glowing droplet in awe. He quickly realized that this essence wasn't for him, but for Gulruk Lord—it was the world's way of thanking the Titan for saving it.
Tearing his eyes away from the essence, Muria glanced back at the world. He was shocked to see the barrier's light dimming rapidly, as if the world had been hollowed out. It was clear that separating this essence had caused severe damage to the world, leaving it deeply wounded.
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