Chapter 64: The Truth and the Second Path

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Truth and the Second Path

After walking a dozen meters down the entrance, the view suddenly opened up. It was a basement. Many people were sitting or lying on the ground, most of them as emaciated as the little girl.

Upon seeing Yu Zhun and Ji Xiaoyu clearly, a look of vigilance and wariness appeared in everyone’s eyes simultaneously.

"They’re here to help us!" the little girl quickly said, holding the cake in one hand and waving vigorously with the other.

This movement, coupled with the sweet aroma of the cake, successfully drew many people’s attention to the treat. For a moment, the sound of people swallowing their saliva echoed one after another, and many revealed looks of intense longing. It had been a very long time since they had eaten any proper food.

"Don’t rush, there’s enough for everyone." Seeing this scene, Ji Xiaoyu knew exactly what she needed to do. She pulled out various kinds of food from her backpack. Soon, the food piled up into a small mountain in front of her.

Yu Zhun was speechless. He thought, "Is this what you meant when you said you packed ’a little’?" However, bringing it out at this time was absolutely perfect. He could clearly feel that the hostility around them had diminished significantly.

Just as the basement residents were about to lose their restraint, a muffled sound came from deep within the basement.

TAP.

TAP.

TAP.

As the sound echoed, the previously restless residents stepped aside, parting to reveal an old man walking toward them with a cane. The old man stepped forward, stopped in front of the food, and remained silent for a moment before slowly crouching down. He dipped a finger into some of it and brought it to his mouth. After a moment, he nodded.

The surrounding residents immediately stepped forward and lined up to receive the food. Anyone who tried to cut the line was immediately smacked by the old man with his cane. Once everyone had received their share of delicious food, the old man looked at the two of them with a complex gaze and spoke slowly.

"Praise the God of Light. You two, please follow me."

With that, the old man turned and walked deeper into the basement. Yu Zhun and Ji Xiaoyu hurried to keep up. Soon, the three of them stopped at an underground sacrificial hall.

Inside this hall, Yu Zhun and Ji Xiaoyu saw a complete statue of the God of Light. It depicted a handsome, imposing man with a solemn, sacred expression, possessing a pair of featherless, fleshy wings. In front of the statue was a pit. Light continuously emanated from it; though faint, it gave off a feeling of peace and tranquility.

"Old man, where is this?" Yu Zhun asked softly.

"This is the final Sanctuary of the God of Light," the old man replied softly, his voice laced with indescribable sorrow. "Dragon Burial City is a city under a Curse, and we are the only remaining Defenders."

Yu Zhun’s eyes carried a hint of contemplation. He felt as though there was some issue he hadn’t considered, yet it was obscured by a layer of fog, making it impossible to see clearly.

"Grandpa, why is this the final Sanctuary of the God of Light?" Ji Xiaoyu didn’t think that deeply; she was merely curious about the old man’s phrasing. "Does the God of Light not provide Sanctuary to other cities anymore?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"The God of Light..." the old man’s voice was barely a whisper, "...is already dead."

BOOM!!!

It was as if a bolt of thunder exploded in Yu Zhun’s mind, instantly lifting the veil of fog. The moment the old man said "the God of Light is already dead," everything recorded on the stone steles connected in Yu Zhun’s mind. Dragon Slaves roaming the Ruins City, while the residents hid... Dragon Slaves, bound by a Curse and fearing the Light... The destroyed statues of the God of Light...

"The Evil Dragon..." Yu Zhun’s voice sounded strained. "That so-called ’Evil Dragon’ is the God of Light?"

"...Huh???" Beside him, Ji Xiaoyu was utterly bewildered. She wondered, "Is... is that how it is?" She felt like she couldn’t keep up with Yu Zhun’s train of thought again.

Hearing the words "Evil Dragon," the old man suddenly clenched his fists, then helplessly let them go.

"It seems you’ve seen the steles carved by Zhanhar. That was his disguise to whitewash the truth, a slander and blasphemy against the God of Light," the old man said, his gaze fixed on the statue. "Zhanhar coveted the power of the God of Light. Disguised as a devout believer, he caused massive chaos within Dragon Burial City and claimed it was the doing of the God of Light.

"The power of the God of Light stems from faith. When the faith in the God of Light was questioned, His power was defiled. Zhanhar used such despicable means to kill the God of Light.

"And then," the old man continued, extreme fury surging in his eyes, "in order to obtain the power of the God of Light, he devoured His flesh and blood, distributing it to everyone in Dragon Burial City.

"That is the true source of the Curse. They abandoned the God of Light, and so the Light abandoned them.

"Yet this bastard still hasn’t learned his lesson. Zhanhar covets the final relic left behind by the God of Light, believing that once he obtains it, he can lift the Curse and become the new God of Light.

"This despicable coward was subjected to an incredibly terrifying Curse. He suffers a backlash from the power of the Light even under the moonlight. Too afraid to crawl out of the Underground City even in the dead of night, he can only send out Dragon Slaves to search for the relic’s whereabouts.

"Preventing him from obtaining the relic is the very purpose of our existence."

The old man slowly turned around and looked at Yu Zhun. "Strange guests from afar, we have never met before, but right now, you are our only hope. Please take the relic and leave this place. The farther, the better."

Yu Zhun was speechless. He truly couldn’t fulfill the old man’s request. A Dungeon had boundaries, so despite claiming to be from another city, it was physically impossible for him to step outside the limits of Dragon Burial City. He could only try a different approach.

"Uh... old man," Yu Zhun coughed lightly. "I think your idea is great, but it’s a bit of a roundabout solution. Why don’t we just kill Zhanhar directly?"

"Kill... Zhanhar?" The old man wore an expression of sheer astonishment before continuing, "If that’s possible, it would naturally be for the best, but can you do it?

"Devouring the flesh of the God of Light turned him into a terrifying monster, neither human nor dragon. His strength far exceeds ordinary imagination."

"We can, trust me." Yu Zhun smiled confidently. "If we fail, there will still be time for me to run away with the relic, won’t there?"

"This..." The old man hesitated for a moment before his gaze turned resolute. "In that case, we leave everything to you."

He stepped slightly to the side, yielding access to the pit in the center of the hall. "Please enter."

Yu Zhun blinked. "This is?"

"This is the passage leading to the Dragon Tomb," the old man said, an expression of reverence crossing his face. "Below is the eternal resting place of the God of Light.

"Back then, Zhanhar built the Underground City atop the corpse of the God of Light, attempting to place himself above the God of Light in this manner.

"But he would never have imagined that beneath the Underground Palace lies the very relic he has sent countless Dragon Slaves to find, yet failed."