Chapter 582 - 388: The Sun and Moon Hang High: Slaughter

The Nest was using the power of the subconscious fragments to evolve.

The Soul-Devouring Insects, a terrifying type of soldier that specialized in Soul Erosion, were merely the first mutation spawned after the Nest devoured the fragments.

If he waited any longer, heaven knew what kind of horrifying monsters the cold, frenzied Will of the Insect Race would fuse together.

’Let me see for myself just what’s so different about these Soul-Devouring Insects.’

Ian’s expression held no tension, only profound anticipation.

Within his Sea of Spirit, the Sun and Moon Dual Core slowly rotated, washing over the surface structure of the fragments.

These Soul-Devouring Insects, having devoured the subconscious fragments, had now become a crucial target for him.

With a subtle thought, the Gravity Rule flowed silently around his body.

Rock and soil parted like water as his figure shot upward like a gray shadow.

In the blink of an eye, he broke through the earth’s layers and stood upon a desolate, cracked plateau.

The deep red sky was filled with fine violet streaks. In the distance, several purplish-black Insect Nests crouched like tumors, their insectoid silhouettes squirming as faint hisses carried on the wind.

Ian ignored the scattered swarms, raising his head to look toward the horizon. The highest peak of the Esok World, the Sky Vault, stood there.

The summit was shrouded in thunderclouds year-round. It was rumored to be the Holy Land where the ancient Essoke People observed the stars, but now it was completely surrounded by Insect Nests.

’I’ll go there.’

He took a step, his body transforming into a streak of pale gold light that tore through the air, hurtling toward the distant peak.

Wherever he passed, the scattered swarms were vaporized by an invisible, intense heat before they could even hiss, leaving behind only wisps of green smoke.

「Atop the Sky Vault, the frigid wind cut like a knife.」

Ian stood on the base of a shattered observatory, his robes billowing in the wind. Below him was a bottomless Abyss; above, roiling thunderclouds and a dark violet Rift.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his Sea of Spirit.

The Silver-White Dream Core and the crimson-gold Sun Core trembled in unison. An unprecedented Rule Resonance spread out from him in all directions.

WHOOM—

The thunderclouds in the sky suddenly froze, then were violently torn apart by two completely different Powers!

In the sky to the left, a great crimson-gold sun slowly rose.

Its light was as scorching as pouring lava. The air shimmered and distorted where it shone, and the Rock on the ground began to melt.

In the sky to the right, a blood-red crescent moon quietly appeared.

The moonlight was not cold and clear. Instead, it flowed with a viscous, Deep Red glow. Countless twisted faces surfaced and submerged within it, letting out silent wails and whispers.

The great sun and the blood moon hung simultaneously at the zenith of Esok’s sky.

Their light intertwined, casting a dark red canopy that expanded rapidly with Ian at its center.

One hundred kilometers, one thousand, ten thousand... until it finally stabilized at a radius of fifteen thousand kilometers.

This was the brand-new form of Domain that Ian had deduced after his Sun and Moon Soul Sacrifice Treasure Manual reached the Morning Star Stage, combining the Dream Rule and the Thermal Energy Rule...

"Sun and Moon Dual Suspension: Domain Overlap."

It was the ultimate killing move Ian had created by overlapping his Dream Domain with his previous Golden Domain!

The crimson-gold sun radiated a heat of tens of thousands of degrees, incinerating all physical matter, while the blood moon’s whispers caused Soul Erosion, awakening the deepest, most terrifying memories in his enemies’ hearts.

Body and Soul were subjected to destruction and torment at the same time.

Ian opened his eyes, the depths of his pupils reflecting the otherworldly sight of the sun and moon shining together.

Slaughter Mode: Engaged!

He raised his right hand and pressed down with his palm facing the ground.

The Gravity Rule throughout the entire Domain was thrown into turmoil, transforming into an invisible, monstrous tide that swept out in all directions.

Thousands of miles away, a purplish-black Nest spanning several thousand square miles was continuously spitting out Engineer Insects and Male Bees.

Deep within the Nest, the Mother Insect’s collective consciousness was cold and mechanical. Suddenly, it sensed an anomaly.

Every single unit of the Insect Race—whether crawling on the ground, flying in the air, or burrowing underground—began to slide uncontrollably in the same direction!

It was as if an invisible giant hand had seized the entire expanse of land, forcibly dragging and gathering them together.

HSSS—

The swarm let out chaotic hisses, their bladed limbs frantically digging into the ground, but they were powerless against a force that originated from the level of the Rules.

Millions, then tens of millions of insects, like a black tide, were swept into the sky by the Gravity Tide, converging at the center of the Domain into a constantly churning, squirming "ball of insects."

Ian’s gaze was indifferent. He raised his left hand and pointed a single finger into the air.

Coronal Storm!

The crimson-gold sun’s brightness suddenly flared, and a beam of light so incandescent it was absolute, descended like heavenly punishment, striking precisely into the center of the insect ball!

There was no deafening explosion, only pure, destructive vaporization.

The Insect Race’s Shells couldn’t withstand it for even a moment before disintegrating at a molecular level. Their dark violet fluids and severed limbs evaporated into the Void in the intense heat before they could even splatter.

Tens of millions of insects, including more than a dozen Level Four Guard Nucleus Mother Insects within the Nest, were reduced to ashes in the span of three breaths.

All that remained was the solitary, purplish-black structure of the Nest and the several thousand Crystal Core Insects deep underground, still in the process of converting the World Origin.

Ian’s figure flashed, and he vanished into the Nest’s passages. The Gravity Rule cleared a path before him, silently pulverizing all obstacles.

A breath later, he was already standing before the subterranean Energy Node.

Several thousand Crystal Core Insects were still clustered together, the golden Energy Liquid slowly circulating within their bodies.

They possessed no intelligence, only the instinct to absorb and convert the World Origin.

"Collect," Ian said, raising his hand. A miniature Gravity Vortex appeared in his palm, sucking in the Crystal Core Insects one by one, compressing them for storage.

Each one contained a small mass of converted World Origin, and the accumulation from several thousand was quite substantial.

After finishing, he did not linger.

With another subtle thought, the Silver-White Dream Core in his Sea of Spirit lit up, and his entire being instantly switched to "Crescent Form."