Chapter 9 Ancient Evil Artifact! 【Seeking Recommendation Votes】
2016-11-29
Author: Floating Tower of All Beings
The Desert Ship.
In a swirling sea of yellow sand, a group of women in conical hats moved swiftly forward, their tall and graceful figures barely concealed by the thick clothing. These were high-ranking Eastern Dance Maidens. Within their seemingly intricate garments were many small trinkets, including poisons, hidden weapons, daggers, and spellcasting materials; some even had a hidden clasp at the hem of their skirts that, if gently undone, would allow them to sit on a man’s lap and enjoy intimate pleasures without leaving a trace. They were the minions of the Eastern Empress, known for their ruthless methods and control over many gray areas, yet they also engaged in adopting orphans and aiding the poor.
All things are relative.
Humans are a complex race, making it hard to categorize them purely as good or evil. The Eastern Dance Maidens exist between these extremes, more often led by the empress in a struggle for women’s rights.
The desert kingdom was previously a territory controlled by the pantheon of the god Muhammad, which significantly lowered the status of women. There was even a time when women faced mutilation. Later, this otherworldly pantheon was expelled, leading to the birth of the profession of Eastern Dance Maidens during the ensuing turmoil, who quickly seized control of the gray areas in the desert kingdom. The Eastern Empress herself was a figure akin to a formidable queen, worshipped by many women; her origins remain unknown, with rumors suggesting she was a rebel against the desert pantheon.
Among the crowd, the Eastern Empress stood out most prominently.
However, at this moment, she did not appear as her usual regal self. Though still breathtakingly beautiful, a hint of fatigue and worry was evident on her face.
After all, the Eastern Empress was still a mortal.
As a mortal, she had her limitations. Even with a robust contingent of assassins and dancers, in the turbulent Year of Saints, she could barely ensure her survival. Especially after the emergence of ancient evil artifacts, ancient mummies, felonious demons, and Roshaya, her sphere of influence gradually shrank, with many towns under her clandestine control being forced to abandon her, leading people to migrate to the southern regions of the Eastern Kingdom.
“Your Highness!”
The Master of Fist – Ti appeared, dashing through the desert like a gust of wind. She approached the group of Dance Maidens and said, “The front has already been occupied by the Lord of Roshaya.”
“They seem to be controlled by ancient evil artifacts, and I have seen many twisted aberrations ahead!”
The Eastern Empress’s expression turned grave. After a nod, she turned to the middle-aged Dance Maiden beside her and asked, “Has the rest of the Monk Order arrived?”
“They’re almost here,” said the middle-aged Dance Maiden. “Moreover, that legendary figure should come as well.”
Upon hearing this, the Eastern Empress’s expression relaxed significantly as she slowly said, “Is that so?”
“Then it appears that we have much better odds in this battle.”
Behind the Eastern Empress was an army composed of professionists, including Eastern Dance Maidens, assassins, rangers, puppet masters, three factions of monks, and the soon-to-arrive legendary monks from the White Cloud Sect and the Unseen Footprint.
Such a powerful lineup was enough to confront many deities!
However,
Even with such a formidable team, the Eastern Empress did not harbor high hopes for victory.
Because this time, they were facing an ancient evil artifact.
And it was one of the most terrifying of ancient evils, known as — Zargon! 【Lord of Hell】
The wind howled.
A thick scent of bl**d permeated the air.
The followers of these ancient evils destroyed three cities and captured many mortals for bl**d sacrifices.
They were worshipping a dreadful horn.
This horn was the essence of the ancient evil artifact, or a remnant of a terrifying entity that had long since perished.
“The Ender of All Things, Eye of the Ancient Element, Dark Deity, the Patient One, the Waiter, the Cursed Bearer, Father of All Ancient Evils, Source of All Malice, Incarnate Eternal Darkness, Devourer of All Worlds, Despiser and Destroyer…”
Eerie chanting echoed.
A sinister spiritual aura enveloped the bl**d-soaked town before them.
Even the Eastern Empress felt a moment of disorientation; this power was unique to ancient evils, as the appearance of an ancient evil artifact often accompanied strange phenomena, sometimes capable of altering the climate of the entire world.
“What exactly is Zargon?”
A relatively young ranger asked, “Why haven’t I found a single word about Him?”
The monk beside him remained silent.
After a brief moment, a male monk, appearing to be a legendary Master of Fist, finally spoke, “Zargon is one of the oldest evils sealed by the Eastern Kingdom!”
“Before Asmothiels, Zargon was the ruler of Hell, a leader of the ancient Bartok natives. When Asmothiels and his cohorts invaded Hell, a great battle broke out between Zargon and Asmothiels. Asmothiels tore Zargon’s flesh to shreds but could not destroy Zargon’s horn.”
“In the end, he violently threw Zargon’s horn deep underground in the material plane. Surrounding the horn, Zargon’s flesh gradually recovered. Above it, a nation called Cynidicea began to flourish. However, this nation eventually fell into decline. A group of followers who revered Zargon as a true god invaded and ultimately destroyed this nation.”
“When a barbarian named Zankar led his army to capture the capital controlled by the evil artifact, he finally realized the true nature of the god he worshipped: a ferocious and savage beast. In a bid to save his people, the barbarian fought fiercely against Zargon. After seven days and seven nights of battling, despite being the most powerful and valiant warrior, Zankar ultimately failed: every time he inflicted damage on Zargon, Zargon’s injuries would heal almost instantaneously. Exhausted, Zankar finally fell to the assaults of the evil artifact.”
“The gods bestowed blessings upon Zankar, hoping he could defeat the ancient evil artifact, but their hopes were dashed. Thus, the gods decided to take action personally; with mocking smiles, Zargon killed several of the gods and drove the others back to their realms.”
“Perhaps the d*ath and failure of the gods were of no concern to Asmothiels, but he was well aware of Zargon’s threat to him. Therefore, at the final moments of the battle, Asmothiels finally intervened.”
“Asmothiels defeated Zargon once more but knew he could not k*ll him. Thus, Asmothiels bound Zargon’s horn within a solid boulder, burying it deep underground, precisely at the center of the ancient empire Imascar.”
“That is where we stand now.”
The Saint’s Cataclysm had loosened the ancient seals, not only allowing the m*rder God – Sherek to escape but also some terrifying ancient evils to be liberated.
Upon hearing the Master’s words, many could not help but swallow hard, and someone asked, “Since the enemy is so powerful! Even the gods cannot defeat Him! Is there a chance we can re-seal Him?”
“Of course,” the Master of Fist declared firmly, “Zargon is still very weak.”
“He has only just broken through the seal and is not even fully revived.”
“As long as we destroy His followers first and obliterate the altar of His resurrection, we can re-seal Him.”
“This dreadful evil artifact is an enemy we cannot escape. Once He fully revives, the first thing He will do is annihilate the material plane and transform all living beings into evil servants, ultimately challenging Asmothiels in the Hell of Bartok once more.”
Zargon knew he could not defeat the Lord of Hell, so the first task he needed to accomplish was to amass a vast army.
This required devouring a plane!
As people pondered the legends of ancient times, suddenly shadows appeared in the distant sky, leading all the monks to bow respectfully.
A middle-aged monk of indeterminate age slowly descended from the clouds.
He stepped onto the air as if there were an invisible path, slowly making his way to the front of the Eastern Dance Maiden.
“Master!”
Before this legendary figure, even the Eastern Empress bowed.
Long life had caused the Cloud Climber Monk before them to forget much; he even ignored the Eastern Empress’s breathtaking beauty and simply furrowed his brow as he gazed ahead and asked, “Is Zargon preparing to resurrect?”
“Let’s get to work.”
“You handle the cultists outside, and I will enter to deal with Zargon’s horn.”
“Let everyone under legendary status stay away from the altar; the aura of the ancient evil artifact can affect one’s mind; they just need to handle the monsters outside.”
The Cloud Climber Monk’s expression was neither sad nor happy.
In his countless years, it was not his first time confronting an ancient evil artifact.
He almost did not touch the ground as he stepped into the town before him. Some Roshayas and twisted creatures noticed his presence and howled as they charged. The Cloud Climber Monk barely glanced; with a effortless hand, he struck out.
Boom!
Suddenly, the earth shook, and a massive handprint about ten meters high appeared on the town wall, while the Roshaya that attempted to attack the Cloud Climber Monk had already turned into a puddle of indistinguishable bl**d and flesh imprinted on the wall.
“Is that the Void Split Palm?”
One Master of Fist watched, dumbfounded, murmuring, “Such power? The aura of the Grandmaster is indeed incomprehensibly strong!”
The Cloud Climber Monk charged straight into the belly of the evil artifact.
This legendary figure could shake the earth and mountains with his every action; a single strike was no less than divine power, and few cultists could withstand his advance. In a sense, the deities walking among mortals now had no strength comparable to his, at least during their saint forms. Only when channeling divine power to take on godly forms could the gods possess capabilities akin to the Cloud Climber Monk’s earth-shaking prowess. Even Soren in his normal state was merely a high-level legendary professionist, while the Cloud Climber Monk before them likely had a profession level nearing or surpassing 40!
How terrifying is a monk close to level 40?
In recorded history, only one monk had reached such heights; influenced by the Succubus Queen, he eventually rallied to overthrow the Demon Prince – Digomorgen!
………………(To be continued ~^~)
