Chapter 730: Fright!

This was truly a spectacle.

Xu Zhi watched the dramatic players recording the battle while spouting nonsense, wondering about these baffling actions from the Heavenly Emperors. Were they trying to make the other Heavenly Emperor powerhouses lower their guard? Did they want everyone to genuinely believe they were fools? Or were they trying to drag others' intelligence down to their level, assimilating them by force?

The Lord of Samsara remained at the farthest, highest point, gazing down upon the colossal cosmic octopus of unimaginable size, surrounded by countless Heavenly Emperors scattered around it like a curtain of rain.

This expedition from the Samsara World allowed its internal powerhouses to witness the realms beyond the Six Paths of Samsara for the first time, completely re-shaping their worldview. Xu Zhi's own understanding of the world was also being updated, or rather, completed. He murmured, “Didn't they just say 'descendants of ancient gods'? How did it become 'descendants of worlds' now?”

The intelligent sub-brain's voice responded: “They likely believe they are not the bloodline descendants of Rank-Eight deities, but rather of a higher order: bloodline descendants of Rank-Nine worlds.”

“Descendants of Rank-Nine worlds?” Xu Zhi inquired.

A cool, mechanical voice explained: “The bloodline descendants of Rank-Eight beings have traversed the entire path of thought and spacetime, exhibiting varying speeds of thought flow depending on bloodline purity...”

“Whereas the bloodline descendants of Rank-Nine beings have traversed the entire path of cell fusion, exhibiting varying degrees of physical and spiritual integration depending on bloodline purity.”

So, they inherit a portion of their ancestors' life levels?

Xu Zhi was stunned, realizing the truth. Rank-Nine bloodlines were naturally superior. This meant they inherently progressed partway along the Rank-Nine cell fusion path. Perhaps some descendants naturally achieved what Ermin struggled to reach at 27?

“What a truly terrifying and unique advantage,” Xu Zhi marveled. “A height that ordinary deities might never reach in their entire lives, yet these beings are born with it. It is indeed enviable! And very much worthy of jealousy! This is like being born a second-generation rich, capable of rivaling a nation from birth.... However, what's truly formidable are those first generations who, without relying on their ancestors, broke through from nothing to become Rank-Nine worlds themselves.”

Xu Zhi couldn't help but ponder, “The offspring of Rank-Nine worlds inherently possess certain incomplete law phenomena, inheriting partial Rank-Nine organs, Dantians, and bones... In a sense, is this the true origin of innate Eight Meridians, Sacred Dragon Qi, Great Accomplishment Holy Body, and Innate Supreme Bone?”

“Unlike the descendants of Rank-Eight deities, the offspring of Rank-Nine beings, despite being incredibly powerful and defying natural order, could indeed have their organs extracted, bones stolen, and bloodlines usurped, as these are all invaluable treasures!”

The intelligent sub-brain remained silent.

Xu Zhi gazed into the distance, taking a step forward, his eyes slightly narrowed. “This large octopus, seeing them use similar law-phenomenon talents, mistook them for bloodline descendants of Rank-Nine beings?”

“What a truly cruel and realistic universe,” he thought. “It perfectly embodies the law of the jungle and the food chain, where bloodlines lead to severe inequality and rigid hierarchies. Although, this kind of bloodline-based class system already existed in my simulation sandbox, most starkly evident in the cold, direct societal structure of the Three Pillar Gods' city-states.”

Xu Zhi suddenly grew curious. “Then, according to the theory that 'the world is a circle, and outside it is a larger circle,' if Rank-Eight deities live within worlds, and Rank-Nine beings are worlds themselves, could Rank-Ten beings be universes? After all, a universe contains individual worlds. And what talents would the descendants of Rank-Ten beings inherit?”

“Rank-Ten is not the universe,” the mechanical sub-brain replied calmly. “However, the specific path should not be answered by me based on the previous generation's Zerg Matriarch's path; it should be explored and discovered through your own path.”

Xu Zhi simply smiled.

Through the large octopus, he could discern that the average power level of the outside world was weaker than he had imagined. Deities seemed to be quite rare existences. And Rank-Nine worlds were truly ancient, vast entities.

Perhaps it had never truly seen one, only possessing the concept from fragmented inherited memories, which was evident from the large octopus's terror. But this was understandable; not everyone had such a high-density world sandbox like Xu Zhi. The true universe was too vast, unimaginably empty!

In the distance, the formidable beings from the Heavenly Human Path and the Mortal Path exchanged glances, refraining from immediate action and remaining extremely vigilant.

“Descendants of ancient gods?”

“Descendants of worlds?”

“What does this mean? Are we the bloodline descendants of some ancient, powerful existence?”

The beings conversed, greatly astonished. Could this extraterrestrial demon have seen through the bloodline secrets within them? Was it related to the ancient, mysterious truth of the Underworld? They recalled the old-era existences suppressed deep within Avici Hell: Abandoned Heaven Emperor, Su Huanzhen, and most recently, Emperor Yun. It seemed to involve the terrifying truth of the “Six Paths of Samsara” in this world.

A term surfaced in their minds: The True Name of Samsara. Prehistoric beings like Abandoned Heaven Emperor had once roared: “We must reclaim the True Name of Samsara and find our true selves!”

Everyone was greatly alarmed. Before them, this was likely an immense opportunity! This ancient secret had been monopolized and sealed away, with no one knowing the prehistoric history. But this extraterrestrial demon in front of them might have discerned clues about their bloodlines!

“You extraterrestrial demon,” You Mountain Lord of Samsara couldn't help but ask loudly, “What do you mean by the bloodline of ancient gods? And what do you mean by the bloodline of this world?”

“You don't know?” The cosmic octopus grinned. “Truly, you sit upon a mountain of treasures yet remain oblivious. My greatest serendipity will come when I excavate all of your bloodline organs!”

The large octopus immediately attacked. Terrifying black tentacles blotted out the sky, lashing out like immense whips.

“You seek death!” The surrounding Heavenly Emperors roared in fury and couldn't help but strike back immediately.

“They're going in? We'll charge too!” Seeing this, a group of players in the distance, their faces alight with fervent excitement, brandished their weapons and furiously rushed forward.

“Charge!”

“Brothers, let's go! Push the dungeon, fight the boss!”

“The NPCs are in, how can we not join?”

“If you're a brother, come hack me!”

“Charge! Death is temporary, cowardice is for life!”

In reality, their movements were utterly listless, yet their voices were full of zealous passion, clearly embodying the essence of ‘AFK’ play in traditional online games where one shouts the loudest but does the least. They were the fiercest in shouting, but the most cowardly in action.

Because the forces of their Beast Path were genuinely weaker by more than a dozen levels compared to the other two realms. Even with relentless effort, they had only managed to produce a batch of ordinary Heavenly Emperors. In their words, in this online game, the players were still in the climbing phase, their combat power relatively weak, and could only develop in secret.

Boom!

In the distance, light erupted. The octopus's terrifying size exuded immense power. Even though the Heavenly Emperors possessed innate talents and were twice as fast as their opponent, a large number of ordinary Heavenly Emperors were still sent flying, spitting blood, utterly unable to withstand a single attack!

Only the terrifying powerhouses of the Great Sage realm continuously circled and attacked, unleashing horrific divine auras that pierced the octopus's flesh, causing blood to gush and inflicting unimaginable damage.

Thump, thump, thump!

The entire surrounding world, enveloped by the octopus, seemed to transform into chaos. Countless energies surged and tore through it. A vast number of ordinary Heavenly Emperors perished, while the large octopus also bled profusely. Much black divine blood and shattered divine bones splattered across the sky.

However, despite being wounded, this terrifying cosmic monster showed no fear, continuing to calmly wield its tentacles.

“This won't do,” a player's expression clearly changed. Though their combat power wasn't impressive, their insights were those of an armchair strategist. “This creature is too massive! We're like fleas scratching at its skin, barely breaking through a bit of tissue, which then rapidly heals. It's utterly harmless!”

“Brothers, split into two groups! One team attacks the brain; after all, the brain is where the soul resides. No matter how large the body, if the soul dies, it's over! This is a vital point!”

“Right, below Rank-Nine, the soul is still in the brain. Without the true spirit imprinted in every cell of the body, one cannot regenerate from a single drop of blood.”

“One team attacks the brain, poke its brains out. The other team, poke its behind!”

“Charge! Attack both ends!”

Instantly, an elite raid commander issued orders to split into two groups, planning an internal assault. However, as one group swiftly flew towards the head, the octopus clearly knew its weakness and protected its head with extreme vigilance. Even if they managed to breach its defenses, the octopus's skull was incredibly hard, suffering no damage whatsoever.

“No, we weaklings can't handle the front lines. Let's regroup with the rear, call for the 'Unlimited Gun,' and concentrate fire to try to break through the defense there!”

The players' expressions changed. It wasn't that there were no powerful talented individuals reincarnated into the Beast Path; naturally, there were. They were nurtured by various player factions and served as invaluable faction NPCs. Players could die, but these top-tier NPCs absolutely could not, as their death would send them into reincarnation, possibly into other worlds.

The “Unlimited Gun” was an extremely powerful attack talent possessed by an NPC. Back then, Emperor Yun had wielded a long spear, intending to battle the Lord of Samsara, only after integrating this very talent.

A group of people moved towards the tail.

“What do we do? Go in? Get the enema ready!” the crowd roared.

“Even if we can't feast on meat with the big shots at the head, we'll at least get some soup from the back.”

“Spatial rings, are they ready?”

“They're ready! We've been mass-producing spatial rings precisely for this moment!”

“Sky-Craft Pavilion, what about your energy extraction devices?”

Although their cultivation speed wasn't fast and their combat power was far weaker than the other two paths, they possessed a wide array of various immortal artifacts and cultivation tools. Energy extraction devices were essential tools for rapidly draining energy from flesh and blood, perfect for looting and extracting every last bit of value from an opponent.

“One million sand coins per unit, no more talking!”

“A rip-off! Ten times the price? Give me one!”

“We want one too!”

At this crucial moment, many player factions gritted their teeth and went all out. This cosmic octopus was countless times larger than their entire Beast Path realm. If all its energy were extracted and converted into spirit energy liquid, it could fill the entire land of the Beast Path.

How could they not be excited? Their faction's prosperity and wealth would begin today. A cavern of flesh was violently pried open.

“Let's go! Apply the 'Three Alls Policy' – strip its skin, scoop out its flesh, layer by layer! This is an unimaginably vast amount of energy!”

Meanwhile, on the main battlefield, “How is this possible? I was clearly careful enough,” the large octopus exclaimed in alarm. “I killed these creatures without destroying their law-infused flesh and blood organs, so why can't I find them?”

The offspring of worlds were bound to possess innate law-infused organs, fused with soul and flesh, granting them terrifyingly powerful talents. Yet, no matter how hard it searched, it couldn't find any.

Suddenly, a shiver ran through its body, and an unbearable, scraping pain swept over it. It couldn't help but tremble, “Damn you, you wretched beings! As noble purebloods, how can you be so shameless and lowly?”

They continued to clash fiercely.

“Those players are truly shameless. Are you hyenas?”

In the distance, Xu Zhi watched the battlefield. The octopus's body was so enormous that even tens of thousands of Heavenly Emperors were spread across hundreds of battlefronts. It would take considerable time to reach another battle zone.

“However, if this drags on, the time might not be enough over there,” Xu Zhi's expression remained perfectly calm.

Thump, thump, thump.

Suddenly, the Lord of Samsara took a step forward. At that moment, all beings on the battlefield, including the enormous cosmic octopus, inexplicably looked up.

Within a black ethereal glow, a black-robed Emperor stood. He seemed like the most ancient existence, clad in a dragon robe with an imperial crown, his skin translucent and radiant like jade. A terrifying and boundless pressure, like an endless sea of smoke, visibly erupted, shaking the entire starry sky.

Galwellian, the cosmic octopus, was filled with horror. Gazing at that inexplicable Heavenly Emperor, it felt an extreme, profound terror, as if it were a flimsy piece of paper that could be pierced at any moment.

“How could this world...”

“How could such an inconceivable existence be here?”

For the first time, the cosmic octopus felt fear, a dread even greater than facing a deity. This wasn't about combat power; it was a profound, unfathomable depth it sensed. The aura was as boundless as a world, an infinite vastness that overwhelmed it, making it feel disoriented as if it were seeing an earthly foundation as colossal and terrifying as a universe.

It was hard to imagine how earth-shattering a structure built upon such a terrifying foundation would be once it broke through.

The Lord of Samsara lowered his head, looking down upon the entire starry battlefield. His eyes were devoid of joy or sorrow, his voice cold as ice, and his majesty boundless. “You have one hour.”

Every word he uttered seemed to shake the entire void. The whole sky appeared to be covered by his black aura, piercing through the land near the sun, like a place where night and day intertwined.

At this moment, almost everyone stopped fighting—all beings from the Heavenly Human Path, the Mortal Path, the Daoist and Buddhist forces of various ancient powers, including the cosmic octopus itself.

“One hour, I will kill them all within one hour...” The large octopus suddenly trembled violently, a tremor that reached the depths of its soul, and it couldn't help but roar in fury.

It finally went berserk. At this moment, the most terrifying Great Sages in the distance finally made their move, unleashing their talents and Daoist arts, knowing they could no longer delay or observe in secret. That indescribable ancient existence was now enraged.

“Then, let's carve it up.”

“First, we must trap its soul and capture it alive, and only then discuss the division of its spoils.” One by one, the ancient existences advanced.

“Are you joking?” The large octopus was utterly enraged, roaring, “I will kill every single one of you!”

The next second, these terrifying Great Sages, who had caused such tremors, finally unleashed their true power and respective talents:

“Physical Immunity”“Tenfold Strength”“Absolute Sword”“Splash”

Like golden meteors, these beings surged forth, their bodies radiating brilliant light and shimmering with Buddhist aura. Others were enveloped in terrifying chaotic true qi, tearing through the void, piercing through everything, and obliterating all.

“How is this possible?”

“Are you fools? You could clearly break through to become deities, yet you're obsessively honing the limits of the Heavenly Emperor realm...”

The cosmic octopus's face turned ashen. It watched the scene in disbelief. Not only had it just witnessed that terrifying, forbidden existence, but every being before it possessed an unimaginably dreadful foundation!

They had all honed their entire cultivation realms to an unimaginably profound depth. What a terrifying sight this was!

“What is wrong with this world?” The cosmic octopus simply couldn't believe what it was seeing.