Chapter 658 - 652: Blood-colored Head

"ROAR..."

After the massive, blood-red hand appeared, another earth-shattering roar echoed. Within that pitch-black space, it seemed as if something was struggling to break free. The eyes of every Martial Artist in Central City were locked onto the spatial black hole, and the atmosphere grew incredibly oppressive.

BOOM...

A moment later, a tremendous bang erupted, and all of Central City began to shake violently. Even the surrounding space seemed unable to withstand the colossal sound, threatening to shatter.

"Look! What is that?" After the sound faded, a Martial Artist pointed at the spatial black hole and shrieked, his body trembling violently with fear.

The crowd looked up toward the spatial black hole. When they saw what was emerging from within, they couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air, their eyes filled with terror.

Shen Haoran gazed up at the thing emerging from the black hole, his Heart Spirit so shaken he was speechless. It was a gigantic, blood-drenched head, as if its face had been completely flayed. Even from a great distance, one could clearly see the raw flesh and blood. More horrifying still, seven thick, pitch-black iron chains ran through its seven facial orifices. The chains stretched back into the spatial black hole, their ends unseen. But there was no doubt that these seven chains restricted the bloody head’s movement, preventing it from advancing even a single step!

"ROAR..."

As if sensing the restraints on its body, the bloody head roared in fury. A visible sound wave instantly spread outward. Some of the weaker Martial Artists coughed up blood and were sent flying, knocked unconscious just from hearing the terrifying blast. And this was while the bloody head was still under a Seal. One could only imagine the horrifying extent of its power if it ever broke free.

Atop the stone platform, the Saint Child stared at the bloody head emerging from the spatial black hole with a fanatical expression. He knelt in pious worship. ’This is our Lord, the supreme and unparalleled powerhouse!’

"Shen Haoran, this is my Lord. It’s not too late for you to repent. Otherwise, you’ll soon become one of my Lord’s sacrifices!" the Saint Child said coldly, looking at Shen Haoran.

"Hmph! You want me to serve this monster? Dream on!" Shen Haoran snorted and refused without a second thought.

"Good. You’ve got guts. I hope you won’t come crying and begging to me later!" The Saint Child laughed loudly. In a flash, he appeared directly in mid-air. A moment later, more than a dozen figures leaped from the crowd to stand behind him. All of them were using the Sky-Soaring Void Step; they were all experts at the Spirit Emperor Level!

Seeing this, Yao Wuchen’s expression turned grim. These dozen or so people were all contestants in the Pill Emperor competition. To think that so many vile intruders had infiltrated his esteemed Medicine Hall, and as the Hall Master, he had been completely unaware!

In the audience, many of the Martial Artists were bewildered. ’How did the perfectly fine Pill Emperor competition devolve into this? What did that Saint Child from Holy Light City mean? And what’s with that bloody head high up in the sky?’ A series of questions arose in their minds, but there was no one to answer them.

In mid-air, the Saint Child gave Shen Haoran and Yao Wuchen a detached glance before turning his gaze to the bloody head emerging from the spatial black hole. He began to chant, "The light is about to fade, and darkness is about to fall. Great Lord, we are all your children. Awaken! This continent needs your descent!"

The Saint Child’s voice spread throughout Central City like a Brahma Sound. The bloody head seemed to hear his call, slowly raising its head and gradually opening its cavernous mouth. A terrifying Devouring Power erupted from its maw.

Although the Devouring Power was immense, it didn’t seem to be targeting anyone. This made Shen Haoran frown. ’According to the Saint Child’s plan, weren’t we contestants supposed to be the catalyst to activate the Hundred-Refinement Soul-devouring Array?’

"My elixir!" Just as Shen Haoran was wondering, a cry of alarm rang out. The elixir in a Sixth Grade Alchemist’s hand suddenly flew out of his grasp as if it had a will of its own, shooting toward the bloody head!

After that first elixir, in the next moment, the elixirs in the hands of several hundred contestants all broke free and flew toward the bloody head like a shower of rain. Even the lowest of these elixirs was at the Sixth Grade!

Watching the elixirs shoot toward the bloody head, Shen Haoran’s pupils contracted. He instantly understood what the Saint Child meant by "catalyst." It wasn’t the Alchemists themselves, but the elixirs they had refined!

The Sixth Grade Elixirs were swept away in an instant by the terrifying Devouring Power, followed by the Seventh Grade Elixirs. The elixirs belonging to Feng Miaoke, Long Xiaotian, and the others struggled for a moment before they too were unable to escape the terrifying Devouring Power and were swept away. The same happened to the Great Heaven Creation Pill in Shen Haoran’s hand; it thrashed wildly against his palm, trying to break free from his control.

Seeing this, Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian rose up and enveloped the Great Heaven Creation Pill, isolating it from the strange Devouring Power. Without the pull of the Devouring Power, the Great Heaven Creation Pill immediately grew still, lying quietly in Shen Haoran’s palm.

Shen Haoran placed the Great Heaven Creation Pill into a Jade Bottle, sealed the mouth with the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, and then tossed it into his Storage Ring. Although his Great Heaven Creation Pill had resisted the Devouring Power, all the other contestants’ elixirs had been devoured by the bloody head. Eight Seventh Grade High Level Pills and several hundred Sixth Grade Elixirs—this was an enormous amount of energy!

CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...

As the hundreds of elixirs surged into the bloody head’s mouth, the sound of shattering chains rang out. Immediately after, the crowd witnessed a horrifying scene. The chain running through the bloody head’s mouth began to break apart, inch by inch. Finally, the bloody head opened its cavernous maw and swallowed the broken chain fragments. Of the original seven thick chains, only six now remained!

"Hahaha! My Lord, show them your power now! Let these lowly ants know what true strength is!" the Saint Child cackled, seeing the chain in the bloody head’s mouth disappear.

"ROAR!"

As if hearing the Saint Child’s cry, the bloody head let out a furious roar. Its massive mouth opened once more, and a Devouring Power countless times stronger than before appeared again. This time, the Devouring Power no longer targeted only the elixirs in the Alchemists’ hands, but everything. The Spiritual Power in the space before the bloody head was instantly devoured, and the buildings below shattered, turning into countless chunks of rock that rushed into its cavernous maw...