Chapter 535: The Ancient Evil Demon
On the way, Donald introduced everyone to Loki, the supreme god. The fact that Donald not only escaped unharmed from that powerful Twilight God Tomb but also secured the allegiance of a supreme god who had already left the Twilight realm surprised them even more than his solo victory over the master of the Twilight God Tomb!
Everyone was pleased, as having a supreme god’s support meant they could act with impunity in this world of forgotten ruins, even if they couldn’t fully unleash their strength.
They were also dissatisfied with not gaining anything from the Twilight God Tomb this time.
With just a few days left, they agreed to abandon the next nearby lower-tier god tomb and head toward the last remaining supreme god tomb site in the world of forgotten ruins, known only to Sphinx.
Taking down another lower-tier god tomb would only yield some basic divine materials; at best, they might obtain incomplete divine essences or artifacts—nothing comparable to the potential for obtaining mid-to-high-tier immortal artifacts from a supreme god tomb site.
While they didn’t expect to acquire a supreme god’s essence, with Loki’s strength at their side, everyone could expect at least a mid-tier divine artifact, worth as much as a medium-grade artifact!
Even mid-tier gods would be eager for such rewards, let alone these newly risen gods, demigods, and legends!
“Which true god’s demise created the next god tomb site?” Donald asked Sphinx, who was leading the group.
Since they learned that Loki had saved Thor’s soul and some of his power in a critical moment, that true god hadn’t completely perished and thus no god tomb was formed. So, the next supreme god-level tomb site couldn’t belong to that thunder god.
Hearing this, Sphinx showed a hint of fear and said anxiously, “This is a special trial ground for our pantheon. It’s the tomb of Tiamat, the ancient evil demon who once tried to destroy the gods and the world before being slain together by the gods and kings. She was only slightly less powerful than the supreme gods—almost a half-step away from divinity. She was an ancient demon born in the primordial world long before the gods. Besides Tiamat, her tomb also contains the vengeful spirit of her most loyal servant, the demon King Ghimli. Even the Earth King at his peak could only draw a tie with Ghimli in battle!”
“Is there really such a powerful divine tomb? Aren’t you gods afraid of problems arising?” The King of the North asked in surprise, utterly unable to understand the actions of the Babylonian gods. Donald quickly grasped what was going on and, together with Sphinx, explained the reasons to everyone. Tiamat, an ancient evil demon born from chaos, not only perished but her divine body was also dissected by Babylonian god leaders such as Anu and Marduk into divine artifacts to create their own heavens. Just imagine how intense her resentment must be! Thus, this divine tomb existed even from the very beginning of the establishment of their godly realm. That universe was different from the multiverse; ordinary divine tombs were not drawn to dangerous star realms but floated in the endless cosmic void between the material and spiritual worlds, making them much less dangerous than star realms with unknown conditions. However, the Babylonian gods considered this divine tomb a rare training ground—it could provide an environment for the younger generation of true gods to hone their skills and also yield resources unavailable in their own godly realms! In fact, many true gods in that universe did the same: the leaders of major godly factions would claim one or two divine tomb ruins and place them in their own realms for the next generation of true gods to use for training and to gain strength, reaping many benefits in the process! According to Sphinx, Gui Xu, a well-known figure in Chinese legends, was actually a vast divine tomb ruin under the rule of the Pangu gods. True gods from various factions often applied to enter it for training, making it one of the most famous training grounds among the gods of that universe! In truth, ancient demons like Tiamat weren’t necessarily truly evil; they were simply chaotic by nature, naturally opposing the order-loving gods who sought to control the godly realms and rule the world. That’s why they were classified as demons, often ending up in tragic fates. Of course, there were also ancient powerful species that chose to join the order faction and become true gods, represented by the Pangu and Egyptian godly factions. The members of the former faction were mostly transformed from powerful demon gods of chaos, while those of the latter were mostly ancient magical species with animal heads and human bodies. Two days later, Sphinx led everyone to a huge floating island shrouded in dark clouds and lightning. It could no longer be called an island—it was a full-fledged continent!
“Since we are already deep within the ruins of oblivion, few outsiders adventurers can reach this place. Even if they do, few manage to escape alive. It’s a chance to leave this world! So, apart from the Babylonian gods, we are the only beings to have come here in all these years!” said Sphinx, his voice filled with fear and awe. “Even though I’m not bound by the rules here, I dare not venture deep into this sacred tomb. It might be okay if I’m discovered by the evil spirits of Jin Gu; with their limited intelligence, I might still be able to escape. But if I run into that demon, Tiamat, I’m likely to be devoured the moment we meet!”
However, Donald and the others were full of confidence. Not only did they have Sphinx, the local expert, guiding them, but they also had Loki, the powerful supreme god, with them. This made this expedition to the sacred tomb, though a thousand times more dangerous than before, undoubtedly much safer than their previous experiences.
Even if Loki could only use the power of a mid-tier god, his combat strength would still far exceed that of an ordinary mid-tier god, thanks to his experience and wisdom!
After making all the preparations, the group didn’t hide anymore and directly ascended the continent formed by the sacred tomb ruins.
Though it was called a continent, once Donald and the others stepped inside the space of the sacred tomb ruins, they realized it was actually a land of waters and marshes, with very few solid, dry plains. Standing on a small hill slightly above the surface, they saw a vast network of rivers and tributaries, along with numerous lakes and wetlands. The most common feature was large areas of dark swamps, from which bubbles occasionally rose from the mud, indicating the presence of living creatures.
Sphinx explained, “Tiamat is originally the companion of Apsu, the embodiment of water. She is an ancient monster that resembles both a giant serpent and a fierce dragon. That’s why her realm is called the Great Marsh of Waters. It’s home to aquatic monsters such as dragons and serpents, all of which are cruel, bloodthirsty, and highly aggressive!”