Chapter 2103 - 561: Aftermath

The evening wind howled across the nameless hill, blowing Luo Yan's magic-imbued purple hair, and carrying away the wails curling at his feet.

Marinus was dead.

This monster, who had lurked in the shadows of the Ryan Kingdom for decades, along with his decayed carcass and Chaos-tainted soul, completely dissolved in the Black Flame leaking through Luo Yan's fingers.

He rarely killed his opponents in such a brutal manner unless he felt that giving them a quick end was "against the Heavenly Dao."

As that broken body turned to ashes, the tortured souls bound and stitched within him finally found release at this moment.

A miracle appeared at this moment.

They did not dissipate immediately but transformed into countless twinkling lights dancing in the air.

At that moment, the pitch-black night sky seemed to reflect the Star River.

"Thank you..."

Faint whispers, overlapping and intertwined, drifted in the wind, the sincerest expressions of gratitude from souls freed from their shackles.

There were innocent children, elderly sages, despairing mothers... and many other yet unformed murmurs.

Countless points of light swirled and circled around Luo Yan, like embers rising from a bonfire, and then ascended toward the vast Star Sea.

Luo Yan stood quietly at the edge of the cliff, allowing those warm lights to pass through his bangs that swayed with the evening breeze.

"Go."

He said softly, without holding back, watching them drift toward the vast Star Sea.

He blessed them to encounter beautiful scenery on their next journey, healing the unpleasant experiences endured in this Hive...

As the last flicker of light faded away, an indescribably immense energy, flowing along the threads of karma, silently poured into Luo Yan's body.

This was something a Master Level thief had stolen from tens of thousands of Ryan people.

Perhaps out of gratitude for justice served, or to thank this kind soul for ushering their tormented souls to peace, part of the spiritual essence, guided by karma, returned to the earth, merging into the "Hive," while another part of the spiritual essence surged in silent resonance toward their longed-for new abode.

As that immense power flowed in, Luo Yan only heard a crisp sound of breaking within his body, and the Sea of Consciousness, as brilliant as the starry sky, seemed to break through an invisible barrier.

The solid wall that had blocked him for so long dissolved under the wash of that immense power, like thin ice falling into magma.

Luo Yan closed his eyes, quickly entered a state of meditation, and immersed his consciousness into the Sea of Consciousness.

There was not a trace of pain.

Nor was there an endless surge of tormented souls.

All that existed was the infinite stretching comfort of his soul, like parched land welcoming a drenching rain.

He felt as if he had transformed into a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, and the once blurry world rules now became clear in his perception.

The flow of the wind was no longer mere air currents but the Breath of the planet. The rocks beneath his feet were no longer dead matter; through the strata, one could faintly hear its silent pulse.

A sense of joy surged in Luo Yan's heart, the "Hive Theory" at this moment became incredibly concrete.

He could clearly feel that the planet beneath his feet was like a living hive, countless vibrant dots of light forming its Spiritual Network like neurons.

And now, this hive was opening its doors to him, welcoming him to become one of its new masters... among others.

Spiritual power, like a river and sea breaking its banks, instantly covered a hundred miles around, ensuring every crawling ant and every trembling leaf could not escape his perception.

He slowly opened his eyes, and deep within his light purple irises, a faint golden halo emerged.

In the Void before him, a pale blue panel appeared silently, the data on which had undergone an earth-shattering change.

[

ID: Luo Yan

Race: Human

Soul Level: Grandmaster (Level cap LV170)

Level: LV.151 (+1)

Constitution: 291 (+66)

Strength: 239 (+67)

Agility: 246 (+67)

Intelligence: 1969 (+800)

Spirit: 2149 (+1000)

]

"Is this... the landscape beyond a Grandmaster?"

Luo Yan gently clenched his fist, the elements floating in his palm emitting a faint hum, which then transformed into the rumbling of the mountain beneath his feet.

A trace of delight appeared on his face.

No need for Spell guidance, merely his will, and the elements hovering beside him would obey him like loyal subjects.

This mastery of rules was entirely another dimension from the mere stacking of Magic Power before!

The values on the Attribute Panel could no longer represent his true strength.

Meanwhile, the data at the bottom of the Attribute Panel silently changed.

With this "Hand of the Late King" that troubled the Ryan Kingdom severed, an invisible fortune converged toward him.

That was the Power of Faith that Marinus and his partners, with some blasphemous force, privately forged into the "Little Beehive" within the Hive.

As a corner of this nascent hive was severed, the portion of Power of Faith that was invisibly plundered flowed back.

[Influence Share: 12.2% (+2%)]

"Wow!"

A milky white Ghost appeared from thin air, excitedly circling Luo Yan twice.

"Congratulations, Lord Demon King! Now you're one step closer to ascending the divine throne! How do you feel? Do you feel invincible?"

Luo Yan opened his eyes, his purple eyes swirling with profound divine light before returning to calm.

Watching the excited Youyou squeezing in front of him, he smiled slightly, speaking with a leisurely demeanor.