107: Sacrifice - Eternal Night Returns to Ruins

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Gao Yun absolutely could not die. If anything happened to Gao Yun, the entire Godfall City would face pressure from multiple parties, not just from The Watchers; the Xia Country officials would also intervene.

Furthermore, it was unrealistic for Divine Gene to dispatch a Demigod to Godfall City to replace Gao Yun. After all, Divine Gene controlled many areas, and their personnel were already stretched thin.

As the communication link was established, it was quickly answered. Immediately after, a holographic projection appeared directly before Shen Lang.

The figure was a middle-aged man with a stern and cold countenance. His features bore a seventy percent resemblance to Shen Lang's, but his eyes were like ten-thousand-year-old ice. Even as a mere projection, one could feel the oppressive force emanating from the depths of his Soul.

This was Shen Lang's father, Shen Wubing, the current rotating chief-in-charge of Divine Gene and a Late-Stage Demigod powerhouse!

"Father, I've run into some trouble here. I need you to send reinforcements," Shen Lang said, steeling himself to speak.

"A very talented Triple-element Awakened One appeared on The Watchers' side. While Gao Yun secretly made a move intending to abduct them, he was ambushed by Wei Guangming and another Demigod. He is currently trapped, and his fate is unknown."

Shen Wubing's eyes suddenly turned sharp and piercing as he stared at Shen Lang. "A mere Triple-element Awakened One isn't worth a Demigod like him taking personal action, is it? Did you instigate this again?"

Shen Wubing understood his son's character all too well.

One could say, just by seeing his posture, he knew what kind of trouble he would stir up.

Fortunately, his usual discipline was relatively strict, otherwise, he would truly be lawless.

Without needing to think too much, just hearing the news was enough to judge it was his son's doing.

Otherwise, why would Gao Yun, a Demigod, especially as the city lord of Godfall City, privately leave to capture a mere Triple-element Fusion user?

In the eyes of those at their level, not to mention triple-element, they had even seen a few quadruple-element users. Unless one reached five elements or even higher, an undeveloped triple-element user was, at most, worthy of relative attention.

From childhood to adulthood, Shen Lang feared no one except his father.

"Well..." Cold sweat was already beading on Shen Lang's forehead. "It was because of a temporary discovery during The Watchers' Special Training Camp selection. You know my experiment has reached a critical stage and requires a large number of blood samples from multi-element Fusion Awakened Ones, so..."

"So that's your reason for inciting Gao Yun to act? Do you understand the importance of Godfall City within Xia Country? Once The Watchers and the Xia Country officials find out Gao Yun is not holding his post, can you bear the consequences?"

"Bang!"

Furious, Shen Wubing slammed his palm, shattering the table beside him. The virtual image was affected, distorting continuously. "This is sheer recklessness!"

"Acting without approval from headquarters, if The Watchers interpret this as an attempt to provoke a full-scale war, even I won't be able to account for it."

Shen Lang hung his head, not daring to argue.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Wubing forcefully suppressed his anger. "Do you have a specific location?"

"Approximately four thousand kilometers northeast of Dawn City, near the territory of the Sky-Burning Sparrow King."

"The straight-line distance to Uncle Yingren's Bohai City is the closest, but it would still take nearly half an hour to get there at the fastest."

Shen Wubing frowned and spoke coldly.

Shen Lang said urgently, "Can it be any faster? By the time City Lord Gao Yun's disciple relayed the message, Gao Yun's aura had already been lost. I feel he might not hold on that long!"

"This is already the fastest speed. Even if I rushed over personally, it would take two hours." A cold glint flashed in Shen Wubing's eyes.

"You and Gao Yun will each bear half of all the consequences of this operation. If Gao Yun unfortunately dies, then treat this matter as if it never happened. You know nothing, understand?"

Then, he gave his son a meaningful look. "His disciple doesn't know about your plan, does he? If he does, you know what to do... For now, you temporarily take over Gao Yun's position. I will make arrangements later."

Immediately after, the communication cut off abruptly.

Shen Lang stood in place, then, as if all his strength had left him, collapsed straight into the chair. His back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Take over Gao Yun's position? Was he, a Middle Stage Celestial Phenomenon Realm Awakened One, even qualified?

Indeed, his father was putting pressure on him as a form of punishment.

If he really took over Gao Yun's position, it would mean he would have to directly face The Watchers and the Xia Country officials. This was something he couldn't handle.

Meanwhile, at the center of the battle, Gao Yun was almost completely melted away.

However, just as Wei Guangming and Murong Fu thought victory was assured—

"Crack... Crack..."

They saw Gao Yun's skull, now only the upper half of his skeleton, suddenly lift. His jawbone opened and closed, emitting a hoarse voice. "You... can't kill me..."

"Boom!"

Immediately after, the entire skeleton suddenly exploded. The Dark Divinity hidden deep within the bones erupted violently at this moment. Then, all the bones dissolved on their own, ultimately leaving only a writhing mass of Dark Divinity Origin.

That dark Origin mass, like a living creature, continuously twisted and expanded, finally transforming into a pitch-black rune suspended in place.

"Sacrifice - Eternal Night Abyss!"

An ethereal voice rang out. The rune suddenly contracted, followed by a "humming" roar. The entire rune directly exploded, disintegrating into countless tiny, pitch-black grains of sand.

Each of these sand grains contained the burning power of Gao Yun's Dark Divinity, a dark rule-based power distinct from physical reality.

The god-banning crystal barrier could seal divinity, but it could not seal rules.

After the sacrifice, Gao Yun's own rule power had briefly ascended to another level compared to before.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."

The numerous sand grains spread out in all directions, actually seeping out bit by bit from the cage barrier. They quickly re-coalesced together on the outside.

Murong Fu's pupils contracted. "Not good! This is the ultimate technique of the 'Darkness Law.' At this moment, he *is* the rule, formless and immaterial."

Seeing this, Wei Guangming intended to act, but his body's condition caused his movement to stall for an instant.

Seizing this momentary opportunity, the black sand that had transformed into a rule completely escaped the cage and re-coalesced into Gao Yun's figure not far away.

The current Gao Yun's body was half-illusory and half-substantial, like a twisted shadow. Even his face was blurred, with only the divinity fragment of the god of darkness in his chest pulsating.

"Wei Guangming... Murong Fu..." His voice carried thick hatred. "Today's grudge... I will repay it tenfold another day. It's a fight to the death!"

Before his words even finished, his figure had already transformed into a black mist, instantly vanishing on the spot.