Chapter 580 - 42: Domain of Typhon

Let’s set aside for a moment whether trapping those lunatics from the Spirit Summoning Association in the Demon Realm—the very place they wanted to go—was akin to letting the fox into the henhouse.

As Su Zhou accompanied Rafael to the Two Realms Time-Space Gate leading to the Demon Realm, there was still one question he wanted to ask.

"We’ve always just called it the Demon Realm, but I assume you at the European Union Harmony Bureau have figured out which faction that realm belonged to back in the Divine Era, right?"

The so-called Divine Era was the European Union’s name for the age before the disappearance of Spiritual Qi, when the gods walked the Human World. It was equivalent to Zhengguo’s era when heaven and earth were connected and mortals lived among the gods.

Naturally, just as the Celestial Pool Realm was once the domain of the Celestial Pool Dragon King, the Demon Realm must have also belonged to some powerful divine being, or beings, in the distant past.

"Ah, the Demon Realm... Although we haven’t sent any large-scale exploration teams there yet, based on observations from drones and small satellites, we’ve noticed that the place is very similar to a location from Ancient Mycenaean legend."

Having already boarded a large transport helicopter with his granddaughter and Su Zhou, Rafael didn’t beat around the bush when discussing the Demon Realm. He simply let out a long sigh. "It is the realm once ruled by the son of Gaia and Tartarus, the father of all demons: Typhon."

Typhon?

Hearing the name, Su Zhou couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. As an expert in Mysticism, he was naturally well aware of its significance.

The Giant with a hundred serpent heads, the Titan who once defeated a Celestial God, the most powerful of the hundred-armed giants, the father and Creator of countless famous Demons.

’The Demon Realm was His former domain?’

"The Demon Realm is vast. In terms of sheer area, it’s probably about half the size of Earth—and at its center lies a supervolcano, one that could reshape the world’s surface if it were to erupt."

This was all information classified S-rank or higher, but there was no need to keep it from Su Zhou, especially since the Harmony Bureau would soon need his strength to annihilate the Spirit Summoning Association’s forces. Rafael thus spoke freely. "Through high-altitude satellite observation, we noticed that the volcano’s shape is extremely unnatural. It shows clear signs of tectonic plate displacement and abnormal protrusions. It seems the gods of old lifted it up, along with the surrounding crust, to suppress—or rather, bury—some Monster beneath it... As for who, specifically, we currently believe it to be Typhon. Of course, it could have been someone else."

"That does line up with the myths. That is indeed how He was defeated."

Su Zhou nodded. He had always been very interested in this kind of topic. "So, that means the place is teeming with Magical Beasts, and they’re extremely hostile toward humans?"

"Indeed." The old man nodded.

Su Zhou then fell into thought.

Typhon, a Giant with a hundred serpent heads and two hundred arms. A Titan of the Mycenaean Pantheon, a descendant of Gaia and Tartarus, the gods of the earth and the Nether Prison.

He once went to war with the Mycenaean Pantheon and nearly defeated every living being within it single-handedly. The gods all fled in defeat before His power. Although He was ultimately vanquished, it was no disgrace. His strength was undoubtedly at the Celestial Venerable level, which is to say, Great Main God Level.

Though He had serpent heads, He did not possess the Attributes of a Dragon Serpent. Typhon was a pure conglomerate of Monsters and Demons, the father of all demons. His descendant, the Nine-headed Hydra, was the true Dragon Serpent.

If the Demon Realm was essentially Typhon’s former domain and also His burial ground, then it was easy to understand why so many Magical Beasts thrived there.

Seemingly sensing Su Zhou’s thoughts and concerns, Rafael took an apple from Selos. The old man took a bite and said with a chuckle, "Don’t worry too much. Typhon won’t be resurrected."

"Unlike the Tree of Life, our Classics record that Typhon was killed long before the Spiritual Qi disappeared. Before the gods left, they even made a special trip to check on Him, confirming that He was well and truly dead."

"And it’s precisely because Typhon is completely dead that His body has nourished that world, making the Demon Realm so bountiful and even creating Black Forests teeming with Magical Beasts."

"I’m not worried about that. After all, if an Evil God of that level really wasn’t completely dead, it would just mean another mission in the Demon Realm after the one in the Beast God Realm."

Su Zhou shook his head, and Selos handed him an apple as well. It was just a normal fruit, not a Spirit Fruit, but it tasted just as good. Su Zhou smiled, said thanks, and turned back to ask, "Obviously, the Spirit Summoning Association probably already knows this information and has some sort of plan. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone all-out to break through your fortress."

"What exactly is their goal? Do you have any leads yet?"

"Regrettably, we have nothing conclusive at the moment."

Rafael could only shake his head regretfully at this. "However, the Demon Realm is, after all, the place where a Great Main God Level being fell. And unlike the Tree of Life in the Beast God Realm, when Typhon was defeated, the Mycenaean Pantheon didn’t have much strength left to expel His lingering Curse. As a result, that world’s environment is exceptionally harsh, constantly filled with an aura of death and miasma."

"That’s also why, when the Space-Time Sect first opened, the Magical Beasts inside charged toward Earth like mad. Even though they had adapted to the hostile environment, a truly safe region is still extremely tempting to them."

"So we speculate that the Spirit Summoning Association’s objective, aside from using a large number of Magical Beasts as sacrifices for their various insane rituals, is to perhaps induce a huge horde of them to attack the Earth World... If they were to lead several million Magical Beasts in an assault on the Two Realms Teleportation Gate, we would have no choice but to use thermonuclear weapons. At that point, the gate would be unusable for a long time, and it would be virtually impossible for us to ever catch those lunatics who have gone deep into the Demon Realm."

’Lure Magical Beasts to attack Earth, create mass casualties, and profit from the chaos by collecting the Celestial God Factor... The plan isn’t entirely implausible.’

Su Zhou nodded slightly. In any case, no matter what the enemy wanted to do, his answer was "NO." ’Who cares what their plan is? If you kill all the planners, it’s the same as there being no plan.’

The same principle applied to infiltration, of course.

Soon, as the helicopter gradually descended, Su Zhou and the others arrived at the location of the Two Realms Teleportation Gate to the Demon Realm.

The ground here was black as charcoal, and the terrain looked as if it had been plowed back and forth seven or eight times by hundreds of dinosaurs. It was obvious that an incredibly fierce battle had taken place here, and the European Union Harmony Bureau had been the losing side.

"This might be hard to hear, Su Zhou, but..."

Looking down at the battlefield from high above, Rafael, who had been one of the losers in that battle, took a deep breath. He had thought he might feel embarrassed, but he calmly warned the young man beside him, "I have the confidence to deal with, or at least hold back, the other members of the Spirit Summoning Association. However, ’The Silent’ Bornev, that natural-born freak, is not an enemy to be underestimated."

"I don’t know what concoction he took or what vicious methods he used, but the giant Crimson Demon he transforms into already possesses power that can rival, or even surpass, what you displayed in the Beast God Realm."

As he said this, he met Su Zhou’s gaze, his eyes clear. "Don’t be careless—and don’t hold back. He is a Monster who long ago gave up his humanity."

"Don’t worry."

Su Zhou replied faintly to this. There was no trace of complacency in the young man’s voice, only a calm like the surface of a placid lake. "I always take my enemies seriously."

"And when facing evil people, I never hold back."

Just as the helicopter carrying Su Zhou landed at the entrance of the Two Realms Teleportation Gate to the Demon Realm.

「Inside the Demon Realm.」

A chaotic, seven-colored miasma floated like a curtain over the pitch-black forest. A biting wind swept between the rolling mountain ranges, a blade-like gale that churned the colorful smoke pervading the world, causing it to shift like a nightmare.

Inhaling the cyan miasma caused hallucinations. The red miasma poisoned the blood. The orange miasma induced a violent rage. And the purple miasma caused congestion and sent one into heat.

Naturally, inhaling just a little too much of any of these miasmas was enough to kill a beast.

For thousands of years, the Magical Beasts living in this land had survived in just such an environment. They had long since adapted to this perilous world filled with thorns and poisonous stingers, where even blades of grass had serrated edges that could draw blood with the lightest touch. Their bodies had even gradually evolved, becoming tough enough to feed on the miasma and bladed leaves.

But now, something completely out of place in this barbaric wilderness was unfolding on a flat patch of ground at the foot of a mountain.

It was the temporary camp of the Celestial God Descent Association.

Automated cannons, AI machine-gun robots, fortifications built from high-strength concrete, and various sentry fortresses armed with Talismans and modern weapons.

Having poured all of their organization’s resources into breaking through the Harmony Bureau’s blockade to reach the Demon Realm, the Spirit Summoning Association had clearly made every preparation to deal with any potential difficulties.

Personnel bustled back and forth in the camp, moving materials and setting up defensive lines. At the very front of this camp, two men who looked completely different from the ordinary members of the Spirit Summoning Association stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, gazing at the forest before them, which was filled with a deathly silent, miasmatic air.

"The place where Typhon perished, a realm left behind by the death Curse of a Great Main God Level being... and it still has so many vibrant Magical Beasts, brimming with barbaric Life Force! Bornev, you were absolutely right. This place is truly a Heaven for our Spirit Summoning Association!"

The one speaking was an old man. His body was covered in colorful tattoos and inscribed mantras, but what was most striking was the pair of enormous, magnificent gray wings on his back.

At a glance, the winged old man truly had some of the majesty of an Angel. But if one looked closely at his eyes, they would see an extreme madness and indifference hidden within.

And beside this winged old man, a red-haired Slav stood silently in place like a statue. He had no reaction to his companion’s praise; his eyes and expression were equally and utterly cold...

No, it wasn’t coldness, but a silence, as if he were devoid of life.

"The Silent" Bornev.

Of the Celestial God Descent Association, one of the Old Seven Leaders, now head of the remaining six. A Monster among Monsters, a madman among madmen, a "man" feared even by the other leaders of the Spirit Summoning Association.

After speaking to himself for a while without getting a response, the winged old man seemed to find it rather dull and turned to leave. The camp had only just been set up, and who knew when Transcendents from the European Union Harmony Bureau or the local Magical Beasts might launch a surprise attack. In any case, Bornev wasn’t the type to care about such things; he rarely acknowledged others at the best of times.

His companion departed, but The Silent remained still.

He stared toward the center of the Demon Realm—the Domain of Typhon—gazing at the location of the giant volcano where the ancient Titan was perhaps buried.

Then, after a long while, a sigh broke the silence.

"Another painful end..."

The red-haired man’s voice seemed to carry an endless desolation. "Even for a God, a Titan’s life is so full of suffering. No matter how powerful a life may be, it will eventually meet a painful end."

"It seems this is the fate of all things."