Chapter 15 – You Picked the Wrong Fight
As Wutian absorbed the vitality of the corpse, a sudden, uncomfortable sensation crawled over his skin—like unseen eyes scrutinizing his every move. His instincts screamed in warning.
"Hmph, looks like I've been discovered." He smirked, his tone laced with disdain.
Yet, there was no fear. On the contrary, a wicked grin stretched across his face.
"Go ahead, then. Try to catch me, you damn cowards."
Irritation flared in his eyes as memories of his past battles resurfaced. The so-called gods of the 70th Heaven—arrogant and deceitful. In his prime, not one of them was his match, yet he had fallen to their treachery. The thought only intensified his desire for vengeance.
"Tch. I need to make preparations first." His expression darkened. "The Pale Moon Massacre Grand Array… I'll absorb these ten thousand souls, refine their essence, and solidify my foundation. Heh… too bad for them, the secret realm rejects Horizon Realm gods. Now, no one can stop me."
His violet eyes gleamed with cruel anticipation as he continued his preparations.
Meanwhile, Ella had been teleported far from Olivia. Landing roughly on the ground, she frowned, her irritation flaring into violent anger. Concern for Olivia mixed with the frustration of this cursed realm.
A dark, abyssal aura coiled around her body, pulsating with unrestrained fury.
"This damn place is really good at making me angry."
Her foot slammed into the ground.
"BOOM!"
The earth shattered, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The surrounding mountains trembled, cracks webbing through their peaks. The force of her strike split the land apart as if an earthquake had erupted beneath her.
In the distance, a group of lesser gods froze mid-air, their eyes widening in horror.
"W-what the hell was that?!" one of them gasped.
His companion followed his gaze, only to see the aftermath—a massive fissure splitting the terrain, the very land caving in.
"What kind of monster caused this?!" another stammered.
Most fled in terror, but a separate group of ten Inferno Realm gods lingered, eyes gleaming with greed. They saw destruction, but in their minds, it spelled treasure—an inheritance waiting to be claimed.
A burly man leading them smirked. "Heh. Looks like we hit the jackpot, boys."
His nine companions grinned, their eyes flickering with arrogance.
Not far from them, a couple of lesser gods watched in disbelief.
"Those fools… do they seriously think they can just waltz in?"
His partner scoffed. "Well, they are Inferno Realm gods. If anyone can dominate this realm, it would be them."
Both decided to stay and watch—curious, yet wary.
Still floating in mid-air, Ella folded her arms, surveying the devastation she had caused. Even though she had only used ten percent of her physical strength, the results were terrifying.
The Grand Arena, where countless figures observed the secret realm, had fallen into a stunned silence.
"Who the hell is she?!"
Spectators whispered in awe. Despite her beauty, her explosive power overshadowed everything.
One of the nobles narrowed his eyes. "Is she… an Inferno Realm god?"
Another elder chuckled. "She surpasses them in raw strength. If she marries into my family, she could be a powerful asset."
Among the spectators, one old man stroked his beard, eyes narrowing. "A woman this powerful… If we recruit her into our faction, she could—"
"Ridiculous!" another elder scoffed. "If anything, we should let her choose which heir she wants!"
The shameless discussions made Yula's expression darken. A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes, but she restrained herself, choosing to watch instead.
In a private observation room, a blue-haired woman—daughter of a high-ranking merchant from the 70th Heaven—leaned forward. Her sharp gaze lingered on Ella.
"Interesting."
Ella let out a slow breath, attempting to quell her irritation. However, her focus sharpened as she sensed approaching presences.
Ten Inferno Realm gods.
She ignored them at first, but their leader—a burly man—grinned as he stepped forward.
"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" His voice oozed arrogance. "A beauty all alone in this dangerous place? What do you say, boys? Should we keep her company?"
The others snickered, their gazes filled with lust and greed.
Ella's expression remained calm, though her eyes grew cold.
The burly man smirked. "Come on, beauty. You're curious about this place, aren't you? Why not join us? We'll even teach you a thing or two."
She exhaled sharply. "Senior is kind, but I'll have to decline."
Despite her disgust, she remained polite. After all, these men were an entire realm above her. It would be foolish to act rashly.
The burly man chuckled. "Oh, but you don't have a choice." He released his Inferno Realm aura, attempting to intimidate her. "Just be obedient and—"
"Enough."
Ella's eyes turned frigid.
"I'm not in the mood."
The burly man reached for her, but before his fingers could graze her skin—
"CRACK!"
A single punch.
Space shattered.
His entire body disintegrated, his soul torn apart before he could even scream. The nine others suffered the same fate—wiped from existence in an instant.
"BOOM!"
The sky darkened, swallowed by an abyssal force. The entire secret realm trembled, as if cowering beneath her might.
The onlookers were paralyzed.
The couple from earlier gawked, their faces pale.
"W-what… what just happened?!"
In the Grand Arena, noble families who had spoken of "grooming" her fell into stunned silence.
A high-ranking merchant choked on his drink, his daughter's eyes wide with shock.
Yula clenched her fists, her heartbeat racing.
"This… this power…"
She had seen ancient gods in her youth. Compared to them, her daughter's strength within the same realm was monstrous.
"Even the ancient gods would pale before her—they would be like ants, even in the same realm."
She trembled—not with fear, but with excitement. Those arrogant fools who dared to prey upon her daughter? Gone in an instant.
"Hmph. Serves them right."
As the secret realm quaked, sacred beasts and powerful monsters fled in terror, believing the world was ending.
Meanwhile, deep in the ruins, Wutian's hands froze mid-formation.
His face twisted in disbelief.
"This… this power…!"
Cold sweat dripped down his back.
"This isn't just Inferno Realm… this is nearly Horizon Realm!"
His teeth clenched. If even a Quasi-Horizon god faced that force, they would be annihilated.
"Damn it…! The 70th Heaven must have sent a Horizon Realm god after me! How did they achieve this? Could it be some kind of artifact?"
He wanted to change his plans, but there was no turning back now.
"I must finish the formation… and prepare an escape!"
Even as fear gripped his heart, he had no choice but to continue.
The game had changed.
And the balance of power in the secret realm was shifting.