Chapter 1119 354: Leaving the Netherworld, Heading to Ra's Domain (2)

This is, of course, just words for show.

Anubis watched the contradictory young man—just moments ago arrogant and domineering, now polite like a top student at an academy. The God of Death's lip twitched subtly.

He tapped his scepter lightly on the ground.

"Do not tread lightly into the Netherworld again." His voice suddenly lowered, the divine resonance branding this statement directly onto Ian's soul, "The true God of Death is wandering... He has gone mad."

Upon hearing this, Ian's gaze slightly hardened.

God of Death?

Gone mad?

The fingers clutching his paddle froze suddenly. He recalled the things he had witnessed in the past echoes of the Misty Illusion Realm, and now there was Anubis's abnormal warning.

Indeed.

The God of Death who has become regulated is not only mad at himself but at other life forms too. Even the Egyptian Gods are wary of him, and the prior gaze might also be related to that regulated incarnation of the God of Death.

"The igniter of the twilight of the gods..." Ian had an intuitive premonition, realizing that the twilight of the Egyptian Gods is likely a catastrophe initiated by the God of Death.

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you for your generosity."

This was another expression of gratitude.

The sky in the Netherworld began to fade, a sign of seeing off guests. Ian took one last look at the silent God of Death, then suddenly pulled out a Golden Apple from his Money Bag—a farewell gift from Greece—and gently placed it on the Obsidian ground.

"A return gift."

When his figure disappeared completely, Anubis bent down and picked up the Golden Apple, discovering a line of tiny Rune Language inscribed on its skin: [To a worthy opponent].

The Ancient Egyptian God of Death stroked the inscription, then suddenly chuckled at the empty Netherworld.

"Actually giving me a Golden Apple."

One could only wonder why this amused Anubis.

At this very moment.

With Ian's return.

Ian's figure completely vanished at the edge of the Netherworld, the gray sky closing again, while the turbulent waters of the Nether River also returned to calm. The arena began to disassemble on its own, the Obsidian ground retreating like a tide, reverting into the boundless desert. Those densely packed undead spectators also turned into countless ghostly lights with a light tap of Anubis's scepter.

Dissipating into the void.

The Netherworld returned to its usual dead silence.

Anubis stood in place, his golden pupils staring in the direction Ian left, silent. His fingertips gently stroked the scarab patterns on the scepter, seemingly pondering something.

At this point, a low voice emanated from the darkness.

"That bird... just what is it?"

The owner of the voice did not reveal themselves, only a cloud of indistinct black mist slowly coalesced beside Anubis, where a pair of ghostly green eyes flickered faintly.

Anubis did not turn his head, merely replied indifferently:

"You don't know, neither do I."

The existence within the black mist fell silent for a moment, then let out a laugh meaningful in tone.

"Interesting... the authority within him is quite special."

Anubis slightly turned his gaze, a deep light flashing in his golden pupils.

"Special enough to make the Time Guardian lose the pocket watch?"

The black mist surged, seemingly producing a certain wave in response to this sentence.

"No, it's not merely plundering." The voice said slowly, "He misunderstood his power... it's not just simple taking, but a convergence and return of transcendent matter."

Anubis slightly furrowed his brows, the scarab gemstone on the scepter faintly shimmering.

"No, it's not merely plundering." The voice said slowly, "He misunderstood his power... it's not just simple taking, but a convergence and return of transcendent matter."

Anubis slightly furrowed his brows, the scarab gemstone on the scepter faintly shimmering.

"Are you saying..."

"Those authorities belong to him in essence, simply scattered across time and space, now being sought out by him one by one." The voice within the black mist was low and distant, "Plundering is just a surface, return is the essence."

Anubis was silent for a moment, the light in his golden pupils flickered.

"If indeed that's the case..." He murmured, "Then his existence may be older than we imagined."

The black mist did not respond, merely dissipating slowly, as though it had never appeared.

Anubis still stood in place, his gaze profound. The wind of the Netherworld swept once more, lifting fine sand that grazed the edge of his black robe. His fingertips gently knocked against the scepter, producing a clear sound.

"Aggregator of transcendent matter..."

He whispered to himself, then turned around, his figure gradually merging into the shadows of the Netherworld. And at the distant end of the Nether River, a pair of eyes belonging to no known gods.

Opened slowly, then silently closed.

...

Ian did not linger in the Netherworld; after all, it's a distinct territory, unlike the Misty Illusion Realm he preferred, thus he immediately returned to the Human World with his paddle.

Therefore.

Ian was not able to know the conversation deep within the Netherworld.

Before that, he had already been sent away—vanishing gradually into golden light, seemingly taken from the Netherworld by some mysterious power.

The sunlight on the Human World poured down like molten gold. Ian blinked, adjusting to the sudden brightness. He was standing in the inner sanctum of the Anubis Temple, in front of the priest who had once blocked him—the round eyes of the opponent reflected his intact figure, the scarab amulet in his hand falling to the ground with a clink.

"You... you really..." The priest's voice trembled, his wrinkled hand clutching the edge of the altar tightly. Behind him, several young clerics were already prostrate on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the floor.

"You... you actually returned?"