Senren clearly knew what kind of person Medusa was, and he wasn’t the least bit worried about her leaking any information.
The Shadow King, still a bit uneasy, asked, “What about the upcoming King’s Assembly?”
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“The plan remains unchanged. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Senren replied coolly, his voice calm as a wave of spatial power surged, causing him to vanish without a trace.
The recent events in Dark City had caused quite a stir, and Senren needed to report back to Celestial Vault about what had transpired.
The Shadow King watched as Senren disappeared, letting out a helpless sigh before he too vanished from sight.
…
At the edge of the Endless Desert, adventurers were still constantly coming and going.
Suddenly, John and his companions appeared, unnoticed by the others.
“Forest King, the matter has been resolved. From now on, we owe each other nothing,” Nine Phoenix Emperor said, turning to the Forest King and speaking first.
Forest King immediately bowed, saying, “Thank you both for your help in this matter.”
Nine Phoenix Emperor merely nodded, casting a curious glance at John before he disappeared.
“The matter is settled. I’ll take my leave now,” Heavenly King said before departing as well.
Only John and his companions were left in the area.
John looked at Forest King, somewhat surprised. “Senior, I didn’t expect even the Emperor-level experts to owe you a favor.”
He already understood the terrifying power of Emperor-level figures. The gap between a Nine Star and an Emperor was a vast, unbridgeable chasm.
“That was a long time ago,” Forest King sighed, not offering much explanation. He then complained, “But you, kid, sure did stir up a lot of noise this time.”
John wasn’t pleased with that, and responded, “It’s a shame. I didn’t manage to destroy Dark City.”
“You still want to destroy Dark City?” Forest King widened his eyes in shock upon hearing this.
At this point, John’s actions had likely already caught the attention of Celestial Vault, and even Forest King wouldn’t dare challenge Celestial Vault. If Dark City were to be destroyed, it would surely cause a massive uproar across the continent.
John, however, was unconcerned. He already knew about the crazy plans of those in Underground City, and judging by Senren’s reaction, those plans were entirely feasible.
It seemed he would need to find another opportunity to infiltrate Dark City again and set off that magma eruption.
However, he wasn’t foolish enough to try again just yet. His strength was still too weak. If it weren’t for Forest King’s intervention this time, he would probably have been in grave danger.
Forest King glanced at him and said, “This matter is over. Come with me back to Forest City.”
As he spoke, he looked toward Spoorate.
This time, his intervention had not been solely to rescue John, but more importantly, to protect Spoorate.
John, however, shook his head. “I have other matters to attend to.”
He was thinking about Medusa.
That person had tried to scheme against him time and again, and in the end, had even managed to escape.
John could never swallow that humiliation. Plus, Gaka had mentioned that entering the Endless Desert could present him with a grand opportunity.
Forest King frowned and turned to Spoorate.
The little girl immediately said, “Big guy, I want to stay with Big Brother. And I’m much stronger now!”
She raised her fist, full of confidence.
She had inherited the Sea God’s legacy, and indeed, her strength had improved quite a bit.
Forest King sighed helplessly. “Fine, do whatever you want. But don’t stir up any trouble with Dark City this time. I don’t have the strength to save you now.”
Without the intervention of an Emperor, he wouldn’t dare to enter Dark City.
He had already used up a favor asking Nine Phoenix Emperor for help. If something unexpected happened again, he definitely wouldn’t be able to call on Nine Phoenix Emperor or Heavenly King.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” John also wanted to take action against Dark City, but his strength was still too weak.
“By the way, senior, there’s one more thing.” He suddenly remembered something and spoke up. “There are a few of my people within Forest City’s jurisdiction. If possible, could you bring them to Forest City?”
Tony, Ben, and the others were still in Golden Tiger City and were not in immediate danger. But the Realm of Chaos was too complicated, and with Forest King’s protection, John could finally feel at ease.
Spoorate quickly added, “Big guy, my grandpa too.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it,” Forest King said readily. This wasn’t a difficult task for him.
After meeting Spoorate, he had already sent people to inquire about Jackey’s whereabouts.
Forest King reminded them of a few things before leading his subordinates away.
“John, what should we do next?” Sini asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Let’s first enter my World-in-Hand.” John greeted them and, with a thought, led the group into his World-in-Hand.
The immense life force and spiritual power surged. After killing Skybroke, his World-in-Hand had grown even more powerful.
He went straight to The Tree of Life and woke Gaka.
“Did you all escape? Was Dark City destroyed?” Gaka saw that John and the others were unharmed and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, immediately asking.
John shook his head helplessly. “We escaped Dark City. But there were some complications. Nine Phoenix Emperor and Heavenly King intervened to rescue us, and Dark City wasn’t destroyed.”
“Nine Phoenix Emperor? Heavenly King?” Gaka’s voice was filled with surprise.
John, curious, asked, “Senior, do you know these two?”
Gaka was silent for a moment before continuing, “I’ve only heard of Nine Phoenix Emperor. After I was trapped in the Tower of Death, he became a newly promoted Emperor. But this Heavenly King… I’m quite familiar with him. He was the first to merge with World-in-Hand in the Realm of Chaos. Now that Skybroke has fallen, he is the only one left. His strength is terrifying. A thousand years ago, he was already as strong as an Emperor.”
“He’s that strong?” John asked, surprised.
According to Gaka, Heavenly King was a powerhouse from the same era as him, and even a thousand years ago, he was already as strong as an Emperor-level figure. Thinking about it now, his strength must be even more terrifying.
No wonder Nine Phoenix Emperor had been so respectful to him back then.
Gaka said, “Kid, don’t underestimate those who have fully merged with World-in-Hand. The opportunity I’m offering you has a high chance of helping you become a true Overseer who has fully integrated with World-in-Hand.”
“Really?” John asked in shock, as did the others, their faces full of disbelief.
Spoorate curiously asked, “Grandpa, what kind of opportunity is it?”
Gaka answered casually, “Endless Desert. That was once my World-in-Hand. I can help you refine it, and there’s a great chance that it will allow you to fully merge with World-in-Hand.”
“Endless Desert was your World-in-Hand?” John asked, astonished. “Senior, did you also merge with World-in-Hand?”
John had already learned that Dark City had once been Skybroke’s World-in-Hand.
Skybroke was a figure who had fused with World-in-Hand.
Endless Desert, vast and boundless, was even larger than Dark City. Even Emperor-level experts could get lost within it.
To control Endless Desert, one would definitely have to be a World-in-Hand Overseer.
Gaka’s voice carried a hint of embarrassment as he said, “Not quite. I only inherited the Sea God’s legacy and gained control over this World-in-Hand, but I couldn’t fully refine it. However, the first Sea God did indeed merge with World-in-Hand.”
He briefly explained the Sea God’s legacy.
Endless Desert had once been known as the Endless Sea, and its spiritual power was even more intense than the World-in-Hand of John’s.
Unfortunately, Gaka had been secretly betrayed by Medusa and was trapped in Dark City, losing control over the Endless Sea. Over time, Dark City’s corruption had transformed the once vibrant sea into a barren desert devoid of resources.
Gaka had originally intended to pass on this World-in-Hand to Spoorate, but the girl’s strength was too weak. She had only just become an Overseer and could not refine it.
John, however, had a powerful World-in-Hand, one that had been opened up by Chaos Force, with The Tree of Life and the powerful legacy of The Immortals. It could easily refine Endless Desert and unlock its greatest potential.
The only problem was that they needed to first locate Gran City in order to enter the core of the Endless Desert and refine it.
“Find Gran City?” John and the others looked troubled.
The last time they had entered Gran City, it had been through Bella, who had asked Medusa for the coordinates of Gran City. Only then had they been able to find it.
However, Gran City was mobile. It wasn’t in the same place as before, so trying to find it in the Endless Desert would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Sini spoke up, “Maybe we can capture another of Medusa’s descendants and force them to tell us the location of Gran City.”
The others’ faces lit up at this suggestion. This plan seemed feasible.
Refining the Endless Desert and becoming a true Overseer was an incredibly tempting opportunity. No matter what, John was determined to take the risk.
After a brief discussion, they immediately set out.
This time, however, they didn’t encounter the thousand-year snake posing as a victim near the town’s edge.
John had no choice but to venture deeper into the Endless Desert and rely on luck.
All of them were powerful, so they weren’t afraid of Serpent King Medusa. As long as they didn’t get lost in the Endless Desert, there would be no danger.
…
Meanwhile, deep within the Endless Desert, at a vast oasis, there stood a large city.
Two figures suddenly appeared.
It was Medusa and a one-legged man.
Yealper!
After the destruction of Underground City, he had abandoned everyone and followed Medusa to escape, arriving at Gran City.
Medusa looked at the familiar city and finally let out a sigh of relief. She spoke, “Yealper, have you thought it over? Would you like to join me here in Gran City?”
Yealper furrowed his brows, then decisively refused, “We’re just partners in this. I’m not interested.”
He had no respect for Medusa. If Dark City hadn’t been destroyed, he would have had no reason to come to Gran City.
“Suit yourself. We have a common goal—to destroy Dark City,” Medusa said, somewhat disappointed, but she didn’t care too much.
She didn’t trust Yealper either. They were simply using each other.
“No. My goal isn’t just Dark City. There’s that human… he must die!” Yealper gritted his teeth as he thought of John.
If it weren’t for that human, Underground City wouldn’t have been destroyed.
Moreover, he still didn’t believe Skybroke had truly perished. He was certain that John had somehow trapped him.
Once Skybroke was rescued, they could rebuild Underground City and fight against the Celestial Vault organization.
“That’s right. That human must die!” Medusa nodded in agreement. She, too, harbored deep hatred for John.
