Chapter 482: Bella’s Stance
Aiden stepped out of the void and appeared high above the Celestial Imperial City, far into the clouds thousands of meters up.
Sharp winds cut through the air here, but they faded away the second they touched the faint silver ripples of space covering his body.
A slender figure in icy blue stood quietly before him, like an ice mountain that had never melted for ten thousand years.
This was Bella, the most powerful deity of the Great Shaw Empire. She had just broken through to the Supreme God realm on the Ancient Battlefield.
Aiden wasted no words. He tapped lightly into the empty air with his right index finger.
A wisp of divine thought woven with the advanced Law of Space turned into a silver stream of light and shot straight into Bella’s forehead.
He told her everything he had learned from Zoey: the truth about Earth’s core, the ancient giant gate, and the "Evolution Jump." He held nothing back.
As the strongest deity who had guarded Earth for ten thousand years, Bella deserved to know this truth-and she had to know it.
Buzz.
The moment the divine thought reached her, the quiet ice laws all around Bella burst out of control. Countless shards of ice exploded wildly across the void.
Her cold, stunning face showed shock, disbelief, and tangled emotions deep down.
The wind and snow howled through the void for a long time before slowly calming under the power of a God-King tier warrior.
"The ancient gate leading to the higher universe... a gamble that decides the life and death of all humans..."
Bella whispered, her voice trembling-a rare sight after ten thousand years.
She stayed silent for a long while. Her gaze cut through layers of clouds to stare at the prosperous land far below.
"I’ve figured something out."
Bella slowly turned around, her icy blue eyes fixed firmly on Aiden.
"A thousand years ago, right before Yves fell, he told me one thing."
"’The key to the future does not lie in power, but in choice.’"
"I’ve spent a full thousand years thinking this over. Only today do I finally understand what those words truly mean."
Aiden stood with his hands behind his back, quietly waiting for her to continue.
"We cannot make this choice right now. We cannot afford to."
Bella’s voice returned to its usual cold, decisive tone, firm without room for argument.
"If we must choose, two conditions have to be met first.
"First, every person deserves to know the truth. All people should decide their own fate. No one has the right to send billions of living beings toward destruction-not even gods.
"Second, humanity must grow strong enough. Even if the Evolution Jump fails, we need a last resort to protect our race and a chance to start over."
Bella stared straight at Aiden and spoke slowly, one word at a time.
"Earth is nowhere near ready for that right now."
Aiden nodded slightly. Silver light flickered in his dual pupils; he clearly shared her view.
"So our task right now is not to argue over opening or sealing the gate."
Aiden took a step forward. The terrifying pressure of a Lesser God wrapped together with the advanced Law of Space, making the void itself tremble.
"Our goal is to buy time."
"I need to grow far stronger-surpass Yves from the past, even surpass the Divine Emperor."
"Zoey needs time to repair the Golden Great Wall and fully lock down the current seal."
"We have to guard against the Seven Heavenly Demon Pillars and the Lord of the Primordial losing control ahead of schedule. We also must figure out the real requirements for the Evolution Jump."
Bella looked at the powerful young god beside her. For the first time in ages, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
It was a breathtaking smile that could outshine heaven and earth, yet it vanished in an instant.
"Aiden, do you know something?"
Bella turned her head and gazed out into the endless void, not looking at the man beside her.
"For the first time in ten thousand years, I truly understand why I must guard Earth."
"I once thought it was merely my duty, a heavy burden left behind by Yves."
"But now I see clearly."
"We protect this land not for some vague, empty mission, but because..."
"There are people here worth protecting."
A profound stillness settled over the void.
The two stood side by side thousands of feet high, letting fierce winds whip their robes, neither daring to break the quiet.
Boom!
A deep, muffled roar suddenly shattered the peace, echoing up from the remote depths of the Abyss.
A faint yet massive wave of law power swept across every corner of Earth’s void in an instant.
Aiden and Bella’s faces shifted sharply at the same time.
This ripple came neither from the Seven Heavenly Demon Pillars nor the Dawn Society.
It originated in the middle layers of the Abyss, carrying ancient, noble yet terribly weak dragon pressure.
Aiden’s dual pupils shrank sharply, and his heart jolted violently.
It was Faye’s aura!
The ripples overflowed with despair, struggle and agony.
"It’s Faye..."
Ferocious killing intent burst forth from Aiden’s eyes, and the surrounding space cracked apart bit by bit in an instant.
"She’s calling out for my help!"
Spiderweb-like fractures spread across the void like shattered glass beneath his terrifying bloodlust.
Bella standing beside him frowned faintly, and icy blue divine power quickly calmed the raging spatial chaos.
"Something terrible has happened to the Abyss Dragon Clan."
A hint of heaviness crept into Bella’s cool voice.
Aiden shut his eyes. His vast inner spirit power stretched across the endless void in an instant, linking to that faint contract signal.
A brutal scene flooded straight into his mind.
It was the ancestral land of the Abyss Dragon Clan.
Tides of black Heavenly Demon energy swallowed the ancient Dragon Glen.
Countless ferocious Heavenly Demon vanguards roared loudly. Dragon blood poured down like rain, staining the whole sky red.
"Damned Heavenly Demons! How did they find the location of Dragon Glen?!"
In the vision, Feargal, an elder of the Dragon Clan, was covered in blood. Deep wounds cut all the way to his bones across his huge dragon body.
Behind him stood Faye in human form, her face pale and blood dripping from her lips. Several powerful Heavenly Demon vanguards surrounded and attacked her.
"It’s Orrin... that traitor led the Heavenly Demons here!"
"Your Majesty, run! I will fight to clear a path for you!"
Several Dragon Clan elders let out unwilling roars and detonated their dragon crystals. Bursts of blazing fire barely held back the Heavenly Demon assault.
Shielded by Feargal and the other surviving warriors, Faye fled toward the outer lands in a desperate rush.
Yet the Heavenly Demon hunters stayed hot on her trail.
...
Boom!
Aiden’s eyes flew open. Silver Law of Space power tangled with raging killing intent, forming a terrifying storm inside his dual pupils.
"The Dragon Clan cannot fall."
Aiden’s voice turned icy cold.
The Abyss Dragon Clan was not only Faye’s kin, but also our most vital ally against the Abyss in the future.
"Someone must stay to guard Celestial Imperial City and watch out for the Dawn Society’s diversion trap."
Bella looked at him, a flash of resolve glinting in her icy blue eyes.
"My true body will stay here to guard this place, and my avatar will back you up whenever you need."
"Take Cheryl with you. Her battle Miko heritage naturally suppresses Heavenly Demon energy."
Aiden said nothing and gave a short nod.
His figure blurred, vanishing instantly far above the clouds.
...
Thirty seconds later.
By the teleportation array of Celestial Imperial City stood Cheryl, dressed in red robes and holding a battle staff.
Her delicate, beautiful face carried a gravity no one had ever seen before.
"Aiden, the space channel is stable. Let’s go!"
"Alright."
Aiden wrapped one arm around Cheryl’s slender waist and unleashed the power of the Law of Space at once.
Hum!
Their forms turned into a streak of silver light and shot straight into the space crack leading to the middle layers of the Abyss.
Violent space currents roared all around them, yet they were easily blocked by the divine barrier Aiden wrapped around their bodies.
Glancing at the girl beside him-her face heavy with worry but her gaze firm-Aiden felt a faint warmth in his heart.
"Cheryl."
Aiden spoke suddenly, his voice clear amid the roaring tunnel.
Cheryl blinked and turned to look at him.
"When we get back from this mission, I want to talk to you properly about everything that’s happened lately."
Aiden met her eyes, his tone soft and unshakable.
A bright blush spread across Cheryl’s cheeks, and even her translucent earlobes grew warm.
But she quickly lifted her delicate chin and let out a haughty huff.
"I don’t have time for your sappy words right now."
"We’ll talk after the fight. I bear the power of the Primordial Miko now. I can look after myself, so don’t get distracted!"
As she spoke, she waved her staff in a show of defiance. Mysterious purple-red runes glowed across its surface.
Aiden let out a quiet laugh. The killing intent inside him grew more restrained, yet far deadlier beneath this gentle moment.
Their eyes met in the void, no words needed between them.
...
Outer Dragon Glen, Middle Layer of the Abyss
The battle here was a hundred times bloodier than Aiden had imagined.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground shook and cracks tore open the void.
"Hahaha! Abyss Dragon Clan, today your entire race will be wiped out!"
A Heavenly Demon vanguard wreathed in black demonic fire laughed wildly and swung his demonic blade down hard.
A wounded giant dragon let out a mournful cry before its massive body crashed to the ground, lifeless.
"Uncle Feargal!"
Faye let out a sorrowful wail. She had shifted into her true form, the Heaven-Devouring Mystic Dragon. Yet her noble, sacred silver scales were covered in dark demonic scars.
Before her, one of Feargal’s dragon wings had been torn clean apart, dragon blood gushing out nonstop.
Dozens of shadowy figures in black robes stood at the edge of the battlefield, their cold, sinister auras heavy in the air.
This was an ambush squad from the Dawn Society!
The leader carried the terrifying power of a Level 99 Great Venerable.
"Hurry up. The Heavenly Demon Lord said the Dragon Clan is an unpredictable factor that must be erased completely."
The robed man spoke coldly, cruel light flickering in his eyes.
"Faye, die!"
Three Heavenly Demon vanguards with Lesser Demon God power charged at Faye at the same time with vicious grins.
Towering demonic energy shaped into a giant claw that blocked out the sky, ready to tear Faye to pieces.
Faye closed her eyes in despair.