The Celestial Emperor and the Nine-Faced Dragon God had never left the Great Ring Multiverse, but as supreme deities, they had their own understanding of the infinite multiverse. They knew that the Great Ring Multiverse was not truly infinite.
They had long suspected the presence of two beings from outside their universe within the Great Ring Multiverse.
One of these was the Lady of Pain, whose origins were largely known to the Celestial Emperor and the Nine-Faced Dragon God.
The other, however, had remained hidden, making it difficult to identify.
The Ancient God of the Deep, who had orchestrated the Second Dawn War, was a prime suspect. Yet, definitive proof had eluded them until now. Upon the Ancient God's death, his identity was confirmed.
"We shouldn't have killed him; he might have had the chance to revive," suggested the Goddess of White Night.
"The Ancient God of the Deep won't revive," replied the Celestial Emperor, his voice calm but tinged with regret.
In a multiverse not their own, death is true and final—there is no rebirth or resurrection. However, as the Goddess of White Night had pointed out, it might have been wiser to imprison him, which could have provided an opportunity to learn more about the Old Universe. Unfortunately, to prevent any possibility of escape, the Heavenly Sword's strike had been too decisive, resulting in his immediate death.
With the Ancient God of the Deep slain, the Celestial Emperor turned without hesitation to join in the assault on the Dread Lord.
Facing six gods, including two supreme deities, the Dread Lord was inevitably overwhelmed, sustaining unprecedented injuries and losing all hope of escape.
"Aio... and Celestial Emperor..."
The Dread Lord, now impaled through the heart by the Heavenly Sword and pinned to the seabed of the Shadow Sea, looked utterly defeated. His bat-like wings had been severed, and his body was covered in grievous wounds.
"You outnumbered me... I refuse to accept this!" His voice rumbled like thunder, filled with deep resentment.
The Dread Lord gripped the blade of the Heavenly Sword, trying with all his might to pull it free. But he was too weak, and as his hand bled profusely, the sword, anchored by the runes of the Nine-Faced Dragon God, remained steadfast, holding him firmly in place.
"Erik, give up."
"I have inscribed countless complete rule runes into your body using the Heavenly Sword as the core. It is as if millions of worlds are suppressing you simultaneously."
The Nine-Faced Dragon God spoke slowly, gazing down at the Dread Lord.
Sealing is often more challenging than simply killing.
To prevent any chance of resurrection, the Nine-Faced Dragon God and the Celestial Emperor had opted to imprison him.
"Aio, you've won this time," said the Dread Lord, releasing his grip on the sword and lying flat with his eyes closed, ceasing his struggle. "But I will return someday and take your head."
The Nine-Faced Dragon God turned to the Celestial Emperor and said, "Celestial Emperor, I will take the Dread Lord back to the Dragon Court and imprison him in the depths of the Pantheon."
"I'll need to borrow your Heavenly Sword for a while."
The Celestial Emperor nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Very well."
As he looked around at the shattered and nearly collapsing Shadow Sea, he murmured, "Despite the damage we've inflicted, the Abyss hasn't retaliated."
"It seems that even within its own domain, the Abyssal Will's power is limited. At least, it cannot deal with us all at once."
After a brief pause, the Celestial Emperor turned to the Nine-Faced Dragon God. "The Abyss represents chaos and evil within the Great Ring. Once the Pantheon returns to its peak, let us, alongside Heaven, launch a crusade against the Abyss and bring the Abyssal Will under our control. What do you say?"
The Nine-Faced Dragon God considered for a moment, then smiled beneath his helmet. "I look forward to fighting alongside you again."
"Not just the Abyss, for the multiverse to function stably and avoid future calamities like the Dawn War, all outer planes and quasi-divine powers should be brought under control."
The Celestial Emperor agreed. "Chaos and evil are indeed part of the multiverse, but they should exist within regulated bounds, not allowed to grow unchecked."
"You and I are of the same mind."
The Nine-Faced Dragon God said.
Thus, these two of the Great Ring Multiverse's most powerful beings set their sights on subjugating the outer planes, especially the Abyss, in the future.
During their conversation, the Abyss remained silent, seemingly indifferent to their blatant threats.
The Abyssal Will existed and was potent, but without sufficient vessels, its power was limited. Without the cooperation of enough demon lords, it could not hope to trap these six gods.
As for the demon lords, under normal circumstances, they might temporarily unite to expel the invading gods if they wreaked havoc in the Abyss.
However, the Abyssal War for Kingship, coinciding with the Dawn War, had reached its peak. The demon lords were consumed by their conflicts, fighting each other with such ferocity that cooperation was unthinkable.
Demons, by nature, would rather see others suffer even at their own expense.
Of course, formally conquering the Abyss and subjugating its Will was no easy task. It would be best to wait until the gods had fully recovered from the Second Dawn War's wounds.
Afterwards, the six gods who had entered the Abyss departed.
The Dread Lord was taken back to the Dragon Court and imprisoned.
With the Heavenly Sword, rule runes, and the added layer of divine seals, the Dread Lord was thoroughly suppressed in the depths of the Pantheon, unable to rise again.
The Dread Lord and the Ancient God of the Deep, the masterminds behind the Second Dawn War, could not escape the gods' pursuit. One was sealed, and the other was killed.
Most of the primordial beings involved in the Dawn War had been either killed or sealed, leaving only a few minor ones, no longer a significant threat.
The remnants of the Dawn War were essentially cleared.
...
"You may choose to stay in this time, if you wish."
In the gleaming Dragon Court, with clouds drifting and the sun shining brightly, Garon spoke to the assembled alien dragons.
With the Dawn War concluded, the alien dragon legion had made invaluable contributions. Of course, Garon had paid them before the war even began.
Now, having spent some time in the main timeline, the alien dragons had repaid their debt to Garon and could choose to return to their own times.
"We said before that staying in this time is my wish," said the golden dragon, Resatos, looking at the silver dragon.
Garon nodded gently and turned to the other alien dragons.
"And the rest of you?"
The Black Emperor spoke, "I will return to my own time."
Similar to the Black Emperor, most of the alien dragons chose to leave, having ties to their own times, such as long-held territories, loyal followers, or mates, unlike the solitary golden dragon.
Garon nodded. "Very well, I will send you back."
Pausing, he added, "Before you go, I have a proposal for you to consider."
The silver dragon, calm and composed, shared his idea as the alien dragons listened in curiosity.
In essence, Garon, the Lord of the Dragon Court, proposed establishing a smaller but more influential Dragon Court that spanned across different times, composed of more powerful members.
Long ago, Garon had contemplated a similar idea—forming a mutual aid society of himself from different timelines.
Inspired by this, he now had a new vision: creating a Trans-Temporal Dragon Court centered around himself, with gifted alien dragons from various times as members.
Garon could facilitate connections among these alien dragons, allowing those in need to seek assistance from others through the Trans-Temporal Dragon Court.
For Garon, the benefits were manifold.
Firstly, in situations like the Dawn War, he could summon the alien dragons once more.
In the prime material plane, the alien dragon legion was nearly invincible.
Secondly, these alien dragons were all prodigies among dragons, extraordinary and uniquely talented. If they lived up to their potential, they would eventually rival the gods, making them formidable allies in the future.
Of course, for Garon to remain the leader of the Trans-Temporal Dragon Court, he would need to continue outpacing these alien dragons in strength. Otherwise, these proud and unruly dragons would not heed his commands.
"Trans-Temporal Dragon Court... sounds intriguing. Count me in."
"I look forward to exploring arcane knowledge across different times."
The Winter White Dragon showed a keen interest.
For alien dragons who were still demigods and had not fully matured, joining the Trans-Temporal Dragon Court was highly beneficial. If they encountered formidable enemies in their own times, they could call upon allies from other times, a trump card their foes would never anticipate.
Moreover, according to Garon's plan, the Trans-Temporal Dragon Court would not have hierarchical ranks. All members, including Garon, would be seen as allies, with Garon having a special status as the founder and convenor.
Garon, being an alien himself, understood the nature of alien dragons. Even those who appeared friendly on the surface harbored the inherent pride of alien dragons and would not willingly submit to anyone.
Trying to control alien dragons with a heavy hand would only backfire.
In the timeline of the Black Emperor and the red dragon Claudius, the Immortal Dragon Queen had recognized their potential and attempted to subdue
them as vassals, only to be repeatedly defied. As they grew stronger, they would inevitably become formidable adversaries to the Immortal Dragon Queen.
A non-hierarchical structure was acceptable to the alien dragons. Garon himself had no strong desire to control others and was content to be a hands-off leader.
Due to the considerable advantages of the Trans-Temporal Dragon Court for their growth and development, the alien dragons gladly agreed after some thought. They formed a Time Alliance with Garon, establishing the Trans-Temporal Dragon Court.
...
In a distant realm, vertical to the infinite multiverse, lay the Old Universe.
This was a multiverse where, beneath the veneer of civilization, lay madness, evil, ominousness, and chaos—like a sea calm on the surface but turbulent beneath. Alongside the Old Universe, akin to the primordial beings of the Great Ring Multiverse, were the Old Rulers, who had fallen into slumber.
The Ancient God of the Deep, after leaving the Old Universe for the Great Ring Multiverse, was unaware that a great battle had taken place between the Old Rulers and the Elder Gods.
The Old Rulers were similar to the primordial beings of the Great Ring Multiverse. However, just as the Great Ring Multiverse had entities other than primordial beings, the Old Universe had its Elder Gods.
After the war between the Elder Gods and the Old Rulers, the Elder Gods suffered heavy casualties, and the Old Rulers entered a deep sleep.
Now, with the Old Rulers asleep and the Elder Gods in retreat, the ancient era had passed.
Mortal civilizations flourished, blossoming everywhere.
Yet, the lingering influence of the Old Rulers remained. Anyone who delved into the mysteries and sought to uncover their ancient secrets would often fall into madness, spiraling into insanity and dying with their minds shattered.
In the Old Universe, the dreams and whispers of the slumbering Old Rulers permeated everywhere, carrying knowledge too profound for mortals to bear.
Mortals with strong minds, spirits, and wills sometimes heard these whispers.
This was not a blessing.
Unlike the Great Ring Multiverse, where gods bestowed blessings and favor upon heroic figures, in the Old Universe, the more extraordinary, wise, or unique a being was, the greater the danger.
Choosing mediocrity, remaining ignorant of the arcane, and clinging to materialism were the best ways to survive.
At this moment, in the Old Universe, on a planet with intelligent civilizations.
In the bustling, smog-filled, neon-lit, steel jungle-like city, beneath the ground, in the damp, dark, labyrinthine sewers, lay a small, cramped room.
In this dimly lit chamber, a group of young people, curious and clad in robes, were replicating a ritual prayer from an ancient book.
Step by step, they inscribed mysterious patterns and symbols on the floor and walls with red, black, yellow, and green dyes, giving off an eerie aura.
Some began to feel uneasy, glancing at each other.
"Are we really going to pray? What if we summon something... unclean?" a brown-haired girl hesitated, speaking softly.
"Julie, are you scared? It's just a fun game."
"Sewers, a hidden chamber, ancient evil gods—how exciting!"
"If you're scared, you can go back. Maybe you can still catch Aunt Angelica's dinner," teased a curly-haired blonde girl, laughing.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
"I've done this many times, and I'm still here, aren't I?" a young man reassured her with a smile.
"O-okay."
Reluctantly, those who were afraid suppressed their fears and began reciting the prayer together.
"The Old Rulers once were, the Old Rulers now are, the Old Rulers shall always be."
"Not in the spaces we know, but between them, they walk serene and primal, past all dimensions, where they walk serene."
"…Mankind rules where they once ruled; they shall soon rule where mankind rules."
"Spring and summer pass into autumn and winter, autumn and winter pass into spring and summer, they bide their time, for they shall rule this place once more."
The voices echoed through the dark chamber, hidden in the city's sewer, unnoticed by the world above.
"All-powerful, the rulers of all existence, the masters of the central throne of the boundless and formless universe, the core of the primeval chaos of darkness."
"The indescribable, the great and blind fool, lord of all things."
"We beseech your gaze, we plead for your hearing."
"We ask for your response."
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew through the chamber, lifting the skirt of a girl's robe.
"Ah!"
The chill in the wind made the girl scream, and everyone stared nervously at the vibrant and eerie symbols and patterns.
"Wh-what's there to fear?"
"It's just the wind."
As soon as the words were spoken, the wind ceased.
The group, who had been tense and anxious, breathed a sigh of relief.
But the next moment, their faces froze.
A faint, nauseating, and headache-inducing murmur, like a distant flute, began to sound, growing louder. It felt as if an ancient being, long asleep, was beginning to stir.
Or perhaps, it was merely shifting slightly, disturbed by a mosquito-like call.
A few days later, a headline made the front page of the local newspaper.
In the sewers along the Mikiel River, a worker cleaning the sewer found fifteen severely decomposed bodies. They were believed to have been overcome by toxic gas and, having fainted in a hidden chamber, were left undiscovered for a long time, leading to their deaths.
Subsequently, mysterious deaths related to the arcane began occurring frequently and widely.
Panic spread like a plague.
Simultaneously, as time passed, the supernal beings of the Old Universe discovered a terrifying truth that drove them to the brink of madness.
The Old Rulers, who had been in a deep slumber for countless eons, were gradually awakening for reasons unknown.
Once they fully awaken, the flourishing kingdoms built by mortals would dissolve like fragile dreams, ephemeral as foam upon the sea.
Thus, to prevent the destruction of their civilizations, the beings with supernatural abilities in the Old Universe began doing everything in their power to delay the awakening of the Old Rulers.
But the return of the Old Rulers from their slumber was inevitable.
It was only a matter of time.
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