Chapter 535 - 371: Source of Destruction, Forbidden Demon Artifact (Part 2)

Darkness flooded Ian’s vision as his consciousness was forcibly dragged into a twisted Illusion Realm.

A cramped rental apartment. The air was thick with the smell of instant noodles and dust.

He lay on the bed, his face pale and his breathing shallow. Beside him, his phone screen displayed missed calls and debt collection messages.

A light rain fell outside, tapping against the window pane with a monotonous, hopeless rhythm.

He reached for the water glass on the bedside table, but his arm fell limply to his side. His eyes slowly closed as he died, all alone.

「Wizard World, Starlight Magic Pharmacy.」

Blood stained the courtyard red. The Alchemy Tree had been uprooted, its five Activation Fruits smashed to pieces on the ground.

His parents, his little sister, Malena... all of them were nailed to the walls, their eyes vacant and long devoid of life.

A figure wearing an Immortal Heart Robe stood in the center of the ruins.

It slowly turned, revealing a blurred face twisted into a crazed smile.

"The trouble you’ve caused... everyone around you has died because of you..."

「The endless Abyss.」

Gaga was ensnared by countless dark purple Tentacles, dragged toward the deepest reaches of the Abyss.

It struggled desperately, letting out a piercing shriek.

"Ian! Save me! Help me! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to be eaten!"

The Tentacles tightened their grip, engulfing it bit by bit. In the end, all that remained was a pair of desperate, slowly dimming silver pupils.

Each Illusion Realm struck directly at his innermost fears.

A lonely death in his past life, the brutal slaughter of his family in this one, his companion being devoured...

A tide of negative emotions—instability, guilt, pain, despair—surged forth, attempting to drown Ian’s consciousness.

Just as his mind was about to break, a golden halo deep within his Sea of Spirit erupted with a blinding golden light!

Like a sharp sword, the light pierced through the layers of the Illusion Realm, illuminating every corner of his consciousness. All the twisted images shattered and dissipated like bubbles, and his awareness returned to his body.

Ian opened his eyes, a flash of scorching golden light flickering in the depths of his pupils.

"Is that all?" He slowly turned, looking toward the shadows in the corner of the great hall.

There, a transparent, phantasmal figure was slowly materializing. It had no fixed form, resembling a roiling mass of fog.

Deep within the fog, two crimson points of light flickered, emitting a cold and cunning aura.

The Soul Dominator, the true source of corruption that had been parasitizing Astra’s Shadow.

"You... How is this possible..."

The phantasm let out a piercing mental shriek, filled with incredulous panic.

’Its most proficient technique, the Soul-based Illusion Realm, once corrupted the Level Four Peak Astra, yet it’s completely ineffective against this human?!’

"Because you don’t understand my true fear."

Ian’s voice was frigid, killing intent boiling in his eyes. He took a step forward, and his Rule Domain, which had already shrunk to ten kilometers, contracted once more!

VMMMM!

The surrounding space froze instantly, preventing even light from traveling freely.

The Soul Dominator shrieked and tried to escape into the Void, but its body felt as if it were mired in quicksand, its movements a hundred times slower.

"Purification."

Ian raised his right hand, a pure golden light blossoming from his palm.

The light transformed into dozens of golden chains that shot through the phantasm like nimble vipers, binding it tightly.

"AHHHH!!"

The Soul Dominator let out a bloodcurdling scream. The Purification Light was the ultimate counter to Abyssal Creatures.

Each coiling chain seared its Soul, causing green smoke to sizzle and rise.

It struggled frantically to break free, but the chains only tightened their grip as the light grew ever brighter.

"Hm?"

Ian sensed an extremely resilient wisp of Abyssal Aura in the deepest part of the creature’s Soul, one that had already surpassed the limits of the Morning Star level.

"Argh... You can’t kill me..."

This was a "Favor" bestowed by the will of the Abyss, and it was the creature’s greatest trump card.

’As expected, contamination beyond the Morning Star level can’t be completely purified for now.’

Ian’s brow furrowed slightly. He increased the output of the Purification Light, and the golden chains began to contract, biting into the phantasm’s body.

The Soul Dominator’s screams grew weaker and weaker. It was tormented beyond words, yet it simply could not die.

The sensation of being unable to die, while its Soul was continuously purified and seared, was ten thousand times more agonizing than death itself.

It felt as if it were being subjected to death by a thousand cuts, with every slice carving into the most sensitive parts of its Soul.

"Kill me... Please... Kill me..."

It began to beg for mercy, but Ian remained expressionless, continuing to channel the Purification Rule.

He wanted to see for himself just how stubborn this wisp of Level Five Abyssal will truly was.

「Time passed, second by second.」

The phantasm had faded until it was almost transparent, yet the speck of black-purple light in its core still flickered stubbornly.

’You’re getting off easy. Time to send you on your way.’

A cold glint flashed in Ian’s eyes. Now that he had tested the limits of his purification ability, he couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time.

With a thought, he released the chains. The Soul Dominator froze for a moment before it realized what was happening.

It let out a desperate shriek as its Soul core began to collapse in a frenzy.

’If I’m going to die, I’ll take him with me! A Soul self-detonation empowered by a Level Five Abyssal will is more than enough to kill a Morning Star Wizard!’

Just as the self-detonation’s shockwave reached its critical point, the panel vibrated again.

[Residue of Level Five Abyssal Will detected. Initiating forced Purification...]

An intangible, formless wave gently swept over the Soul Dominator’s core.

FZZT. Like a flame being doused with water, the wisp of Level Five Abyssal Aura that had resisted to the bitter end vanished. The self-detonation sequence came to an abrupt halt.

The Soul Dominator’s gaze turned vacant. It "watched" as its Soul was gradually purified, finally transforming into a completely transparent, crystalline Gemstone with ripples of spiritual energy swirling within.

[Obtained: Purified Level Four Peak Soul Gemstone]

[Obtained: Abyssal Will Information Fragment (Level Five)]

Ian reached out and drew the Gemstone into his palm. At the same time, a fragmented stream of information poured into his mind.