In the past, the two myths of the Falling Star City were somewhat wary of the "over-the-river dragons" from the outer regions, the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce, who had established themselves there. As the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce siphoned off much of their business and subordinates, this wariness gradually reached its peak.
Their dominant position in the great domain was about to be challenged!
But now, when a disaster threatening their very survival struck Falling Star City, Borazerimon discovered that having a powerful neighbor like the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce was actually a fortunate thing. After all, regardless of anything else, they and the main body of the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce were all humans, all oasis powers, and there were no fundamental animosities between them. Petty conflicts of interest paled in comparison to the existential threat of the great disaster.
Recalling what the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce had done in the past: rescuing refugees from small oases; hiring top mercenary groups to support multiple large oases in the Falling Star Great Domain; guaranteeing the personal safety of any bidding client; cooperating with multiple large oases to explore wild resource areas... and so on.
Looking at these actions, it was clear that the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce acted with principles and a strong sense of contract. They not only did not bully the weak but often provided gratuitous assistance to them.
In the past, Borazerimon had been somewhat displeased with the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce's "meddlesome" style of doing things. Now, he only felt warmth, realizing they had a warm-hearted and trustworthy neighbor.
"It should not be difficult to persuade the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce to act. It's not about actively confronting the Evil God faction, but merely eliminating security risks and ensuring the safety of the regions surrounding the oases."
Borazerimon dared not even entertain the thought of dealing with the unspeakable Evil Gods.
However, Evil Gods, Evil God factions, and Evil God servants were not the same. Evil Gods cared about only two things – authority and the origin of the world. Beyond that, they seemed not to care, even if the disasters they inadvertently unleashed could cause widespread panic among the people of dozens of great domains.
The Evil God faction was vast, with multiple factions within it. Apart from worshipping a certain Evil God and harvesting native worlds for them, Evil God servants were not close to each other. In fact, Evil God servants within the same faction would fight each other, and the battles between Evil God servants of different factions were even more brutal than their battles with humans.
Moreover, if he remembered correctly, the colossal shadow that stood above the blood lake seemed to have retreated. They only needed to face some "ragtag remnants."
Borazerimon listed one advantageous condition after another in his mind, strengthening his psychological defense.
After a long pause,
He still hugged his arms, feeling a chilling premonition of the path ahead on this summer day.
Even if they only faced "ragtag remnants," this was still a terrifying force capable of overthrowing their Falling Star Great Domain.
Furthermore, the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce was merely a newcomer; they had only operated a level 3 or 4 oasis, and their foundation in the Falling Star Great Domain was not strong.
A weak foundation was a disadvantage in the past, but now it was an advantage – it meant that if the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce sensed danger, they could completely abandon their assets, pack their bags, and leave overnight... He remembered the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce had branches in the Shattered Sea!
In contrast, everything in Falling Star City was here. If they abandoned their assets, they would have almost nothing.
No, he had to leave quickly. If he dallied any longer, by the time he reached the Blazing Flame Marketplace, only an empty oasis might remain!
...
Borazerimon was somewhat worried about encountering a few burly myths squatting in the gray fog when he went out, who might pounce on him. But there was no choice. Falling Star City only had two myths, and they couldn't possibly send his aged grandfather, who had suffered a severe backlash, on such a journey.
He followed the "ritual path" of Falling Star City and soon arrived at the Gate City – Starfall Fortress.
Borazerimon concealed his presence and stood on the fortress wall. He extended his divine sense into the gray fog, scanning it back and forth. Finding no issues and with no time to waste, he transformed into a stream of light and darted into the gray fog, speeding towards the Blazing Flame Marketplace.
The ring on his hand emitted a faint blue glow, dispersing the gray fog within a radius of hundreds of meters. In the distance, the gray fog and the blurry scenery within it retreated on both sides.
Borazerimon constantly observed his surroundings, flying with extreme caution and a tense spirit, completely lacking the former ease he had when moving freely near his own home. It was as if he were still a young prince, anxious about traveling afar.
But to his surprise, he flew all the way to the Blazing Flame Marketplace without encountering any incidents. He didn't even find traces of the Evil God's lackeys. Along the way, he didn't encounter a single seven-star malevolent entity.
The entire Falling Star Great Domain seemed safer than before.
"Could I have been worrying too much?"
"No, that's not right! Not long ago, a terrifying entity from the Evil God faction descended. How could there be no signs of disaster at all? The less abnormal things are, the more it indicates the seriousness of the situation."
There was a grand conspiracy at play here!
Borazerimon did not display his mythic power. He landed a few kilometers away from the Blazing Flame Marketplace and then walked towards it like an ordinary awakened individual.
He hadn't been to the Blazing Flame Marketplace in some time, and his memory of this oasis was still from over half a year ago. He was surprised by what he saw now – the oasis had expanded considerably, likely reaching level 4. Outside the grand old city walls, new buildings stood in neat rows. Many shop doors were open, hung with various signs.
Borazerimon even spotted many familiar guild insignias. Among them seemed to be super guilds from the Shattered Sea... guilds that Falling Star City had tried to partner with but couldn't connect with.
For a moment, Borazerimon felt a pang of envy and jealousy, but he quickly realized this was not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. He flicked his robes and strode towards the inner city, heading for the Governor's Mansion.
The deeper he went, the more prosperous the streets became, with bustling crowds and occasional ornate carriages passing by.
It seemed that the liveliness and prosperity here were completely unaffected by the recent disaster.
This shouldn't be the case!
Pondering deeply, Borazerimon realized the reason: ordinary awakened individuals were too low-level. They likely mistook the "Shadow of the Blood Lake" for something similar to the previous disaster, completely unaware that a great terror had already descended upon their doorstep.
Alas! The heavy truth, indeed, could only be borne by the strong; it was too lonely.
As heavy as him was a weathered, robust man in silver-gray armor – the Iron City Lord.
They met in front of the Governor's Mansion. Their eyes met, and they instantly understood each other's thoughts: "So you're here to find the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce too."
This was a good thing. In the face of disaster, it was even more necessary to concentrate efforts to respond, and for their entire Falling Star Great Domain to work together.
Borazerimon nodded in greeting.
The Iron City Lord was even more delighted. After all, Falling Star City and the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce were the only two pillars of support in the entire great domain. He naturally wanted to cling to both. However, as he was preparing to seek support from the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce, he suddenly encountered the myth Borazerimon. This... felt somewhat awkward and shameful.
...
Borazerimon was unaware of the slight awkwardness deep in the Iron City Lord's eyes. His mind was filled with how to deal with the disaster.
Perhaps the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce had anticipated their arrival. As soon as they reached the entrance of the Governor's Mansion, guards led them directly inside.
Here, they met three myths from the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce, as well as Dean Rose and the First Tower Master.
"I didn't expect seven myths to gather today," the Iron City Lord exclaimed. Apart from the old myth of Falling Star, all the myths in the entire great domain were present. Unfortunately, the time was too rushed, and this 'myth meeting' completely lacked the proper formality.
Of course, now was not the time to consider such things.
Borazerimon knew that the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce had another myth, but whether there were three or four made little difference. These three could definitely represent the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce.
He glanced at the Iron City Lord, then at Dean Rose and the First Tower Master, and said:
"We are here today to discuss the response to the sudden disaster. Do you have any more intelligence regarding the recent catastrophe?"
The Iron City Lord frowned slightly, "It seems there were myths from the Evil God faction, and quite a number of them? As for the terrifying entity that appeared later..."
He had also observed it with his divine sense at the time and suffered a backlash.
Of course, it wasn't that he was too reckless; he hadn't expected that being to be so terrifying that even a single glance was unbearable.
The intelligence the Iron City Lord provided was very limited.
Dean Rose pondered for a moment and regretfully shook her head, "What I know is even less than the Iron City Lord."
The First Tower Master also shook his head and remained silent.
All of this was within Borazerimon's expectations. He hadn't expected the three newly promoted myths like the Iron City Lord to provide any significant intelligence. His hope lay with the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce.
The Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce's myth, Qianqiu, hesitated to speak.
He knew what had happened earlier. The great figures in the organization had intervened, fighting fiercely with experts from the Evil God faction for hundreds of rounds. It was said that in the end, his mentor had intervened, forcing back the terrifying entity standing above the blood lake with a single move.
Apart from not witnessing it firsthand, Qianqiu was fully aware of the entire sequence of events. He had even learned some specific details from his colleagues in the organization.
He knew everything and was incredibly proud, but he couldn't say a word, which made him feel a bit stifled.
Borazerimon noticed his hesitation and looked at him inquiringly.
"One of the parties fighting earlier was indeed from the Evil God faction," Qianqiu paused and said. "As for the other party, based on our observation, it was likely not from the Evil God faction, but rather a mysterious and powerful force."
"After all, when experts from two Evil God factions fight, they always leave behind a mess."
As Qianqiu spoke, Borazerimon also revealed the intelligence he knew.
The two of them occasionally supplemented details, and soon, a general outline of the "disaster" emerged.
The cause might have been a plot by the Evil God faction, which was thwarted by a powerful and mysterious force. The two sides engaged in a great battle, ending with the mysterious force's victory. However, perhaps fearing that higher-level entities from the Evil God faction might intervene, the mysterious force quickly departed after a slight victory, disappearing without a trace.
During this process, myths and demigods had intervened successively.
This was clearly a struggle between both sides. The fact that the terrifying entity above the blood lake attacked first proved that in the "lower-level" struggle, the mysterious force held the advantage.
Borazerimon shook his head in amazement.
"The power struggles of high-level beings are terrifying. Even myths and demigods are merely pawns in the struggle."
"However, even 'pawns' are quite formidable."
He paused, "My grandfather observed it directly at the time. The myths from the Evil God faction who intervened were not weak, while the mysterious force seemed to have only sent two myths."
"Only two?"
The Iron City Lord was astonished.
Borazerimon sighed and nodded, "Yes, just two. These two held their ground against over ten or twenty myths. Later, a powerful demigod from the mysterious force intervened and suppressed two demigods from the Evil God faction single-handedly... Unfortunately, my grandfather could not observe the entire battle, only knowing the outcome."
"It's hard to imagine what kind of power that was."
"Are these the true top myths of the Abyssal Realm?"
Borazerimon considered himself not weak among myths, significantly stronger than newly promoted myths like the Iron City Lord, Dean Rose, and the First Tower Master. But compared to the two myths of the mysterious force, he could only look up to them.
If there was an opportunity, he definitely wanted to witness the demeanor of such geniuses.
He looked at Qianqiu and the others.
The three myths of the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce were also among the geniuses, having ascended to godhood at a very young age and possessing formidable combat strength. However, there was still a gap like a chasm between geniuses. Having encountered true top-tier myths, Borazerimon could imagine how complex the emotions of these three from the Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce must be at this moment.
...
Eloise's heart was indeed very complex.
What could she say? She wanted to laugh but couldn't, and could only maintain a poker face to avoid breaking character.
Fortunately, she was a myth and had mastered basic fist techniques to the maximum level, and had also practiced gluttony body-tempering. Her control over her own body, including facial muscles, was very high, allowing her to suppress any urge to laugh.
—She wasn't good at acting, but she could learn from An Jianyou and maintain a blank expression.
"They are just a little bit stronger than this Empress, just a little bit~!"
Her expressionless face and mechanical voice seemed to reveal this Blazing Flame myth's last bit of stubbornness.
After all, this one seemed to be a young girl.
Borazerimon chuckled and shook his head.
"It's truly remarkable that this mysterious force only dispatched three strong individuals, yet they managed to suppress numerous myths and demigods from the Evil God faction," he sighed.
Eloise echoed, nodding, "Yes, yes, yes, this mysterious organization is so powerful and amazing."
A faint smile flickered at the corner of her lips. Was she happy that the human forces had repelled the Evil God faction? This myth Eloise was indeed a very... very pure myth.
Borazerimon marveled, and after a long while, realized they had strayed from the topic. Should they not be discussing strategies to deal with the disaster?
He clutched his chest, trying hard to steer the conversation back on track.
Beside him, the Iron City Lord was even more astonished, still lost in thought.
Eloise, lost in the fantasy of "Our organization is so amazing.jpg," smiled.
Xing Jinglei stood with his hands behind his back, acting as a background figure.
Dean Rose and the First Tower Master were not particularly surprised, finding it all as expected.
As expected, our "Xin Huo" is an Abyssal Realm-level organization with unfathomable depth. Just like this time, the organization only sent two myths, one demigod, and one great figure acting remotely, to thwart the Evil God faction's plot.
How magnificent!
And this, likely, was just the tip of the iceberg of the organization's power!
In the conference room, the seven myths had six different lines of thought.
Borazerimon scanned the others, trying to steer the conversation back to the right track. He found that only Myth Qianqiu was earnestly discussing the topic; the others were either amazed, smiling, daydreaming, or lost in thought.
Can't there be more normal myths?
Borazerimon clutched his chest and sighed with weariness.
...
In the distant, desolate Yellow Dust Great Domain.
The overlord here was the Sunset Kingdom, with two myths stationed there. Currently, the "Hand of Dusk," Duruk, gazed at the deep black hole that had cracked open in the sky, unable to help but swallow.
The black hole had appeared abruptly not long ago.
The aura of death emanating from within sent a chill through his entire body.
Fortunately, the aura of death came and went quickly, and no disaster spread. Seeing the black hole slowly closing, the Hand of Dusk stopped paying attention, only lamenting how dangerous the Abyssal Realm was.
He continued to stare at the Candra Ruins not far away, his gaze lingering affectionately.
Suddenly, he was startled. The screen of light in front of him began to change, runes appearing one after another.
At the same moment,
A beam of light erupted from within the ruins.
Brilliant and dazzling, it transmitted a message, perceptible only to humans, to the surrounding regions.