Chapter 717: The Corpse of the Primordial God
The Underground Biosystem
Following the hole downward for about seven hundred meters, the view suddenly opened up. The two arrived in an astonishing underground world. The air was filled with creatures resembling fireflies, and the light they emitted illuminated the surroundings completely.
Had it not been for the rock strata above, Luke would have thought he had traveled through time again.
Looking down from the sky, large and small stone pillars connected to one another, covered in luminous, mold-like plants. Some glowed purple, others blue. The ground was blanketed in large patches of phytoplankton and algae.
In addition to plants, there were animals and microorganisms. The three coexisted and checked one another, forming an independent biological system.
"Unbelievable!" Luke murmured. "Did you all create this world?"
"No, my grandfather. His corpse created all of this."
"A whale fall breeds life for ten thousand things!"
Hanyue thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. "You could say that."
"Where is the body?"
"Right ahead."
Hanyue led the way, with Luke cautiously following, observing her movements while keeping an eye on the surroundings. This was the Celestial Court, Hanyue's old lair. Who knew what traps lay hidden?
The two moved forward, traversing the cluster of stone pillars and the sea of mold, until they reached the edge of a cliff. Looking down, a gaping, dark eye socket suddenly appeared before them.
An eye socket!
Yes, what Luke saw was an eye socket, bigger than a four-story building.
He had seen the mother body of the Tentacle Monster in the Underworld. Even if this being wasn't as large as the mother body, it wasn't far behind.
Hanyue let out a long breath. "This is my grandfather's corpse. Thankfully, it wasn't destroyed."
"Is that so?"
Luke gave a faint smile. He lifted Hanyue and flew into the air, examining the giant buried in the deep pit from all sides.
It had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, giving it a human appearance, but it was hairless. The left half of its face was etched with black markings, a scar ran across its shoulder, and there was a gap in its heart, as if something had pierced straight through it.
Even in death, one could sense the overwhelming, world-destroying power emanating from the corpse.
"A Primordial God indeed," Luke murmured, then asked, "What do we do now?"
Hanyue pointed to a set of stairs. "Follow the steps down. At the end is the alchemy room. The water for the Immortal Ascension Pool was prepared in there. If we're lucky, there might be some residue left."
Luke scanned the area again. He said nothing more, taking Hanyue and flying down to a room hidden in the wall. The room contained various alchemical facilities. Due to years of disuse, a thick layer of dust covered everything, and some equipment was already decayed.
Luke walked to the desk, collected the undecayed leather-bound ancient books, and casually asked while flipping through them,
"You only talk about your grandfather, but you never mentioned a grandmother. I'm curious. Your grandfather is a Primordial God, so what was your grandmother's identity?"
"I don't have a grandmother."
"No grandmother?"
"My father, second uncle, and third uncle were all split from my grandfather."
Luke immediately became interested. "So, are you also a split-off?"
"I have a mother."
Hanyue replied grumpily. "This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to ask."
"No, it has everything to do with me."
Luke threw the books onto the floor and walked over to Hanyue. He reached out and grasped her pristine, long neck.
"Princess, you are beautiful, and your singing is moving. I once held a slight fantasy about you. However, everyone has their own ambition, and it cannot be forced."
"If you had wholeheartedly helped me, I would have certainly granted your wish after the fact. Unfortunately, you've been lying the whole time."
Green flame leaked from his palm, enveloping her soul-body. Hanyue tried to beg for mercy, but she couldn't make a sound. She could only stare at Luke in terror.
"You told me the origin of the Celestial Court's legacy was your grandfather, and I believed you. Then you said the key to achieving godhood was the Immortal Ascension Pool. Then you followed up by saying the pool water was refined from your grandfather's corpse, and I believed that too, allowing me to deduce the entire sequence of the Celestial Court's demise."
"Too bad. The moment I saw the corpse, I suddenly realized you were still lying to me."
Luke pointed to his eyes. "These eyes of mine can see things that the naked eye cannot discern. Things like life force, or a soul."
"Your grandfather's body is brimming with enormous life force, and there is a soul about to be born within it." He pulled her close, stared into her eyes, and said word-for-word,
"I finally understand why so many gods in the Celestial Court died. The root of all evil was your grandfather."
Hanyue's pupils contracted. She was utterly shocked, forgetting the pain of the green fire burning her.
"How interesting, Princess. You people are truly fascinating."
Luke loosened his grip on her right hand, letting the woman crawl on the floor and wail. "How did you know all this? Who told you?"
"Do I need someone else to tell me this information? Who do you think I am? I am Luke Shaw, the smartest human being who has ever lived. Did you truly believe I didn't know about the little tricks you were playing behind my back? I merely wanted to see what exactly you were planning to do!"
"Everything has clues. The first time I saw the records about the Celestial Court in the Rock of Eternity archives, a doubt formed in my mind. It said that the Celestial Court lost many gods—far more than the total of the other six pantheons combined—and the cause of death was infighting."
"Everyone says the Celestial Court is proficient in infighting. But which of the other six pantheons isn't good at infighting?"
"I knew there must be something hidden, but due to a lack of information, I had no leads until I met you..." Luke walked up to Hanyue, pinched her chin, and said softly,
"Princess, tell me. What's your next move? Awaken your grandfather's soul, or activate the magic circle in the deep pit to trap and kill me?"
Hanyue turned her head away. "Since you've already guessed everything, why did you still come along?"
"Because I want to witness your grandfather's power. Go on, wake him up."
Hanyue was stunned. Her mouth hung open wide enough to swallow an egg.
"You... you... you're crazy! Do you know who my grandfather is? He is the most powerful entity among the Primordial Gods, the Creator who bore the title Lord of Destruction!"
Luke shrugged. "Isn't this what you've been hoping for? To trick me here and use your grandfather's power to get rid of me? What, have you regretted it, or have you fallen in love with me?"
"A ghost would sooner fall in love with you!" Hanyue scoffed, then sank into hesitation. She had indeed planned this before coming. The problem was that the opponent had guessed all her schemes and, instead of stopping her, was encouraging her to proceed. This was baffling.
Her grandfather's power was limitless. Even if he wasn't fully resurrected, he was still more than an ordinary god could handle.
Luke Shaw was definitely no match for him, but why was he so confident?
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