Chapter 684: Temple of the Lustful Demon Lord

Insight truly was a remarkable skill. The moment Marcus activated it on the damaged plaque, a series of descriptions appeared before his eyes, revealing information that left him genuinely astonished. This ruined temple wasn’t merely an ancient structure abandoned for a few centuries. It dated back to the era of ancient immortals and gods, more than ten thousand years ago.

Temple of the Lustful Demon Lord

Description: Ten thousand years ago, this temple served as a place of worship for demon soldiers and evil creatures devoted to the ancient Demon Lord, the Lustful Demon Lord. He was one of the Ten Great Demon Lords of the ancient immortal era, renowned for his mastery of essence cultivation.

Under his command were more than a million demon soldiers and evil creatures, with his four concubines serving as their leaders: Lady Serpentine, the Venom Mosquito Wraith, the Thousand-Tailed Scorpion Sorceress, and the Spider Demoness.

The Temple of the Lustful Demon Lord was constructed by these four concubines and divided into four shrines, each belonging to one of them: the Shrine of Lady Serpentine, the Shrine of the Venom Mosquito Wraith, the Shrine of the Thousand-Tailed Scorpion Sorceress, and the Shrine of the Spider Demoness.

These shrines served as places where the four concubines cultivated their powers, while demon soldiers and evil creatures gathered there to offer tributes to the Lustful Demon Lord.

The temple currently being investigated was the Shrine of the Spider Demoness. The land beneath it contained an abundance of energy, making it an ideal location for the Spider Demoness to cultivate. For that reason, she had chosen this place to establish her shrine.

Marcus stared at the information for a moment, his curiosity growing with every line he read. ’The Ten Great Demon Lords of antiquity!’ Just hearing the title was enough to suggest how terrifyingly powerful these beings must have been. They had commanded armies numbering over a million, and their influence had apparently extended across an entire era of immortals and gods.

Marcus couldn’t help wondering how they compared to the current Demon Lord. If the latter was already considered a major threat to the Dreamland Continent, what kind of existence had ruled over the demon race ten thousand years ago?

Unable to contain his curiosity, he sent Alana a private message.

"Alana, have you ever heard of the Ten Great Demon Lords of antiquity? Do you know how powerful they were? More importantly, how would they compare to the current Demon Lord?"

Unfortunately, the Dreamland Continent had lost almost all reliable knowledge of the ancient immortal era, and Marcus wasn’t particularly optimistic about receiving a useful answer. Still, Alana had access to information that ordinary players might never encounter, so asking her seemed worthwhile.

Her reply, however, revealed just how little anyone knew.

"Master, everyone on the Dreamland Continent knows that the era of ancient immortals and gods existed ten thousand years ago, but no one knows what really happened during that period. Even Grandpa can’t explain the details. Almost all the records from that era have been lost."

She continued, "There are no surviving stories that describe the ancient immortal era in any detail. The only major figures from the distant past who are still mentioned in our historical accounts are the First Emperor of Humanity who lived eight thousand years ago, and the Goddess of Dreams, who appeared five thousand years ago. The current Demon Lord belongs to a much later era, following the time of the First Emperor. Compared with the Ten Great Demon Lords of antiquity, he’s probably on an entirely different level."

Marcus couldn’t help sighing inwardly. So much for getting useful information.

The ancient immortal era was beginning to look like the ultimate mystery of the Dreamland Continent, a forgotten age that players would eventually have to uncover for themselves. If even the most knowledgeable figures in the current world couldn’t explain what had happened back then, there was little point in expecting ordinary records to provide any answers.

Still, Alana’s response reminded him of someone else. Zion, the Arch-Sorcerer of the Five Elements. During their previous encounter, Zion had mentioned something called the Divine Path.

Could it be connected to the ancient immortal era? Given Zion’s extraordinary abilities and the mysterious nature of the Five-Element Cleric class, Marcus couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a connection worth investigating.

His curiosity grew stronger by the second. He wanted to summon Zion immediately and ask him about it, but there was a small problem.

When they had parted ways, Zion had told FreshwindElara that once she reached level 50, she could call his name using her Ring of Resurrection, and he would guide her along the path of the Five-Element Cleric.

FreshwindElara had already reached level 50, so the conditions were fulfilled. Marcus had simply been too busy dealing with Dragon’s Roar Town and everything that had happened on Dragon’s Roar Isle to follow up on the matter. Now that his interest had been piqued, he was eager to find out what Zion knew, but FreshwindElara wasn’t online.

There was nothing he could do about it for the moment. He would have to wait until she returned.

Suppressing his impatience, Marcus turned his attention back to the information revealed by Insight. There was still plenty to learn about the temple itself, and the next section of the description proved far more disturbing than anything he had read so far.

Historical Records of the Temple

The great Divine War ten thousand years ago brought the era of ancient immortals and gods to a catastrophic end. The ancient hundred races were almost completely wiped out, and barely any immortals, gods, or demons survived the destruction.

The Lustful Demon Lord and his four concubines were no exception. Their physical bodies were destroyed during the war, leaving behind only remnants of their souls.

After the destruction of his body, the Lustful Demon Lord’s remnant soul fled to the Lustflower Mountain Cavern, where he entered the Palace to continue cultivating. His four concubines, however, lacked the strength necessary to follow him. With no other choice, their souls returned to the four temples where they had once cultivated.

After returning to the Shrine of the Spider Demoness, the Spider Demoness activated the temple’s ancient seal, concealing the shrine from the outside world. She intended to remain hidden while recovering from her injuries, hoping that one day she would possess the strength necessary to achieve Corpse Possession.

The description ended there, offering no further information. Marcus read the final lines several times, his attention settling on the last two words. Corpse Possession.

He mulled over the term, trying to understand what it meant in this context. The Spider Demoness had lost her physical body during the Divine War, leaving only her soul behind. After returning to her shrine, she had sealed the entire place away and spent the following ten thousand years recovering her strength.

Could she have finally reached the stage where she could possess a new body? And if so, what had she been doing all this time?

Marcus’s expression gradually turned serious as a name suddenly surfaced in his mind. ’Lady Silvia, the Hundred-Beast Maiden!’

A sudden realization struck him. Based on the information revealed by Insight, he could finally piece together a plausible explanation for what had happened a year ago.

While fleeing from the Ice-Fire Howling Wolf, Lady Silvia and the other members of the Roaring Tiger Squad must have stumbled upon this hidden shrine. The Spider Demoness, who had been cultivating her remnant soul within the sealed temple, likely sensed the presence of a suitable body and saw an opportunity to revive herself.

Lady Silvia had been the perfect target. The Spider Demoness must have broken the seal concealing the shrine, emerged from her long seclusion, and captured Lady Silvia in an attempt to possess her body. That would explain why the Hundred-Beast Maiden had disappeared without leaving behind any obvious clues. It would also explain why Beastmaster Manor had been unable to find her.

Marcus felt as though the pieces had finally fallen into place. ’So that was what had happened to Lady Silvia!’ The realization brought him some satisfaction, but it also raised a far more troubling question.

If his deduction was correct, then completing the Roaring Tiger Squad quest might require him to confront an ancient demoness who had survived the destruction of the immortal era.

He couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy. Although almost nothing was known about the ancient immortal era, the few surviving records made one thing abundantly clear: the beings who had existed during that period were terrifyingly powerful. Even the current Demon Lord might pale in comparison to the great figures of that forgotten age.

And the Spider Demoness had spent ten thousand years cultivating her remnant soul. If she had finally reached the stage of Corpse Possession, how powerful would she be now? The implications were staggering.

More importantly, if the Spider Demoness was still active, what about the other ancient immortals, gods, and demons? Were any of them still alive, quietly recovering their strength in forgotten corners of the world? Could others have reached the same stage as her?

The Dreamland Continent was already on the verge of chaos. The Demon Lord was preparing to revive, the Blood Clan and the Savage Tribe were approaching the point where they could break through their seals, and now ancient beings from an era long thought lost were beginning to stir.

If more of these creatures emerged, even the Dragon Dynasty might struggle to withstand the coming upheaval. The thought should have been alarming. Instead, Marcus felt his excitement growing.

The more complicated Dominion became, the more fascinating it was. He had always loved this game, not merely because of its combat system or the rewards it offered, but because the world seemed to grow more mysterious with every discovery. There was always another hidden quest, another forgotten civilization, or another powerful being waiting to be uncovered.

To him, Dominion was more than a game. It was humanity’s second world, and he had no intention of standing aside while its greatest mysteries unfolded.

With his thoughts settled, Marcus led his pets through the ruined gate and into the Shrine of the Spider Demoness.

He couldn’t say he was confident about facing the Spider Demoness, especially when he had no idea how much of her original power remained. However, the system had assigned him the quest for a reason. There had to be a way to complete it, and he would figure it out as he went.

Besides, there was another detail he couldn’t ignore. If the Spider Demoness really possessed power far beyond anything he could handle, and if she had already succeeded in taking over Lady Silvia’s body, Beastmaster Manor should no longer have been able to sense that the Hundred-Beast Maiden was alive.

Yet the manor still had reason to believe she survived. That suggested his deduction might not be entirely correct, or that the Spider Demoness’s attempt at Corpse Possession had yet to succeed.

Either way, he still had a chance. Marcus took a breath, steadied himself, and surveyed the area ahead. There was no point in letting fear get the better of him before he had even seen his enemy. ’No fear.’

Beyond the gate lay a vast square courtyard, its weathered stone floor littered with broken tiles, collapsed beams, and the debris of buildings that had crumbled over countless centuries. Most of the surrounding structures had been reduced to ruins, leaving only scattered sections of walls and the occasional pillar to hint at what the shrine had once looked like.

Directly ahead stood a two-story building constructed in the traditional style of an ancient temple. Although its exterior had suffered extensive damage, the structure remained largely intact compared with the surrounding buildings. Given its size and position, Marcus had little doubt that it was the main hall of the Shrine of the Spider Demoness.

If the quest held any important clues, that was the most likely place to find them. Before approaching the main hall, however, Marcus decided to examine the monsters wandering through the courtyard. He had no intention of charging blindly into an unfamiliar area, especially when he was already dealing with the possibility of an ancient demoness lurking somewhere inside.

He activated Insight and examined the nearest creature.

At first glance, the monsters looked remarkably similar to the Soulless Maidens outside the shrine. Their disheveled hair concealed most of their faces, and their slender, alluring figures gave them the appearance of female ghosts wandering aimlessly through the ruins. However, a closer look revealed a disturbing difference.

Each creature had four arms, and they moved with their bodies hunched forward. Their limbs hung at unnatural angles as they shuffled across the courtyard, their movements occasionally jerking in ways that made their bodies look more like those of crawling insects than human beings. If they were to flatten themselves against the ground and spread out all six limbs, including their two legs, they would resemble enormous spiders.

Marcus studied them for another moment before reaching a conclusion. Come to think of it, these really were spider creatures.

—

Soulless Spider Maiden

Level: 60

HP: 45,000

Description: Some level-50 Soulless Maidens were injected with the venom of the Thousand-Year Spider Spirit, the Spider Demoness’s handmaiden, and evolved into level-80 Soulless Spider Maidens. They were assigned to guard the shrine. However, following the great war ten thousand years ago, their power deteriorated, and their level fell to 60.

Talent: Blood Drain

Passive. Converts 25% of the damage dealt by each attack into HP recovery.

Talent: Spider Venom

Passive. Attacks carry the Thousand-Year Spider Spirit’s venom, inflicting continuous poison damage and potentially causing Blindness and Enfeeblement.

Skills:

Soulless Combo: Launches two or three consecutive attacks against an opponent in an uncontrolled frenzy.

Lustful Miasma: Passive. Releases an unsettling aura while attacking, with a chance to randomly reduce the target’s Attack and Defense.

Ghost Hair Dance: Active. Attacks distant enemies by whipping its hair at them.

Spider Venom Silk: Spits venomous spider silk from its mouth, inflicting poison and slowing affected targets.

—

Marcus finished reading the description and nodded to himself. So these were evolved versions of the Soulless Maidens outside. Originally level-50 monsters, they had been strengthened through the Thousand-Year Spider Spirit’s venom and transformed into level-80 guardians.

Unfortunately for them, whatever power they had possessed before the great war had deteriorated over the past ten thousand years, leaving them at level 60. Their abilities were also fairly straightforward. Aside from the additional Spider Venom talent and the Spider Venom Silk skill, most of their attacks were similar to those of the ordinary Soulless Maidens. The poison could be troublesome if he allowed himself to be overwhelmed, but with his current attributes and the strength of his pets, these monsters posed little real threat.

"Attack!"

At Marcus’s command, the two Sea Demon Souls and Pebble charged forward to draw the monsters’ attention. The three moved through the courtyard, attracting one group after another until more than twenty Soulless Spider Maidens had gathered around them. Once the monsters were sufficiently clustered, Marcus led the rest of his pets into the fight.

The Yin-Yang Giant Panda and its clone immediately unleashed their ranged attacks, while Goldie, Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna, and Vixen Queen Camillo followed with powerful magic of their own. Black-and-white energy swept across the courtyard, golden flames erupted through the air, and Lyanna’s and Camillo’s spells struck the gathered monsters from different directions.

The results were devastating. Every magical attack landed with overwhelming force, and the level-60 Soulless Spider Maidens were killed almost instantly. Marcus barely had to intervene. His pets were powerful enough to eliminate the monsters before they could make meaningful use of their poison or other abilities.

The Sea Demon Souls and Pebble, meanwhile, continued drawing the attention of the surviving creatures. Thanks to their connection with Marcus, they benefited from the abilities and attributes he had acquired, making them far more durable and evasive than ordinary pets of their kind.

One of the biggest advantages was thanks to Gale, the Wind God Supreme Assassin, who activated the talent, Heart of Agility, which had transformed Marcus’s combat capabilities.

—

Heart of Agility

Agility increases by three points per character level. Accuracy increases by 20%, Dodge increases by 20%, Attack Speed increases by 3, Movement Speed increases by 5, and Critical Hit Rate increases by 30%.

—-

With these bonuses, Marcus’s Agility and Dodge had reached an absurd level. The effects were particularly noticeable when the Soulless Spider Maidens tried to attack the Sea Demon Souls and Pebble.

The monsters repeatedly lunged at their targets, slashing with their four arms or spitting venomous silk from their mouths, but their attacks struggled to connect. More often than not, the only thing that appeared above the Sea Demon Souls and Pebble was the word Miss, while the occasional successful hit inflicted barely any damage.

Even when the Soulless Spider Maidens managed to strike Pebble, the damage was usually less than 200 points per hit. Marcus watched the exchange with growing satisfaction. This was exactly what he had wanted.

A heavily armored knight with enormous HP, formidable defense, and an absurdly high Dodge rate was already difficult enough to kill. If he later changed his class to Shadow Dragon Assassin and gained the additional Dodge bonuses associated with that class, his survivability would become even more ridiculous.

He would have the durability of a defensive fighter combined with the evasion of an assassin, allowing him to withstand attacks that would overwhelm most other players while making it extraordinarily difficult for enemies to land a hit in the first place.

The thought alone put him in an excellent mood. For now, he didn’t need to worry about defense. With his pets handling the damage and his defensive abilities making him so difficult to hit, he could focus on increasing his offensive power and enjoy the benefits of his increasingly outrageous build.

As the battle continued, Marcus and his pets methodically cleared the courtyard of Soulless Spider Maidens. Once the last group had been eliminated, he turned his attention back to the main hall and resumed his search for clues.

Throughout the fight, he had repeatedly used Insight on the surrounding structures, the damaged walls, and anything else that looked remotely suspicious. So far, however, he hadn’t discovered anything that explained how the Spider Demoness had managed to remain hidden for ten thousand years.

That in itself was strange. Beastmaster Manor had sent numerous experts to investigate the disappearance of Lady Silvia, yet none had found any trace of her within the shrine. They had also failed to discover any evidence of the Spider Demoness’s remnant soul cultivating there.

If Lady Silvia had indeed been captured by the Spider Demoness, and if the ancient demoness had been hiding within this shrine all along, how had she managed to conceal herself so completely? Marcus couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

The most likely explanation was that the shrine contained a hidden passage or secret chamber that couldn’t be discovered through an ordinary search. The Spider Demoness had deliberately sealed and concealed the entire structure after returning to her shrine, so it made sense that she would have taken additional precautions to hide the place where she cultivated.

Lady Silvia and the Spider Demoness were probably somewhere beyond the main hall, concealed behind a secret passage that had escaped even the experts from Beastmaster Manor.

Finding it was now his top priority. Marcus continued using Insight as he advanced, carefully examining every suspicious section of the architecture. At the same time, he made full use of the Seven-Colored Divine Eagle’s Eagle’s Vision and Eagle’s Eye, maximizing both abilities to search the ruined shrine from every possible angle.

With the eagle’s enhanced vision and the investigative power of Insight working together, he hoped to uncover whatever secret the Spider Demoness had hidden within these ancient walls.

He had already found the truth behind the shrine’s history. Now, he needed to find the entrance to the place where its most dangerous secret lay buried.