Although the Nightmare Lords fled, many overlords and lords were left behind in the Shadow World, and numerous powerhouses launched a great slaughter, resulting in rivers of blood.
The losses inflicted on the Nightmare in this battle were no less than those of the First Nightmare Invasion. When the last Nightmare Creature was annihilated, the shadows returned to tranquility.
Everyone revealed the joy of surviving a disaster.
"Great, I didn't expect we would really defend this place."
"I almost thought the Shadow World was going to become history."
"The fall of four lords in this battle is also a huge loss for the Nightmare. A hundred days of recuperation will be enough for us to catch our breath for a while."
"We are truly grateful to the Twilight Hall Master. In such an unfavorable situation, he actually killed four lords in a row. He deserves to be Nora's hidden trump card!"
From today onwards.
The shadow powerhouses were completely convinced by the Nora Council. With the power of one person, he scared away more than thirty lords. This was the demeanor of the former King of Supernovas.
The Red Emperor Dragon landed on the ground and changed into the classic "Black Armor Swordsman" skin. Levi's face was full of a feeling of unfulfilled satisfaction.
Not enough killing, not enough killing at all.
The Lost Monarch was too cowardly. After only losing four lords, he didn't dare to fight anymore and ran away with this group of people, which damaged the reputation of the Four Emperors.
The Nora powerhouses surrounded Levi, shaking hands, chatting, and thanking him non-stop.
The Thunder Lady asked:
"Levi, how are you feeling now? I saw your mental power suddenly increase by a large margin just now. Did you use a sublimation secret technique?"
"I only use it occasionally, it doesn't have much impact."
The Wind Empress breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"That's good. If you need to repair the origin of your mental power, I have a bottle of [Life God Potion] refined by the Thousand Mountains Undying here."
Levi was the key to confronting the Three Juggernauts next. Although Lord Eamon was strong, as a Guardian, he did not dare to leave Nora under the siege of the heroes.
Nora needed a sharp sword that possessed absolute crushing strength against Tenth Ring and could support the major battlefields at any time. No one was more suitable than Levi.
Currently, he was only a Tenth Ring Knight, but he already possessed the power to contend with the late stage of Tenth Ring. When he advanced to Legendary next, he would at least be comparable to the peak of Tenth Ring.
Below the Supreme, no one could withstand him.
This was only the early stage of Tenth Ring. As his minor realm improved, Levi's strength could also skyrocket. Perhaps he could obtain the power of the Supreme without advancing to the Supreme.
This was the key! The importance of a true Supreme to a civilization was not comparable to a fake Supreme like Levi, who possessed "Supreme combat power."
The Supreme seemed to have obtained the ceiling-level combat power of this universe, but they were also suppressed by the universe. On the contrary, they were not free. It was okay if they did not use force, and the impact was not significant. Once they took action too frequently, there would be some unspeakable consequences.
The Supreme Will created Supreme-level incarnations or agents to solve this problem. Unless it was a moment of life and death for the civilization, This Venerable One would never take action.
Currently, this kind of suppression was unsolvable. Perhaps only by reaching the Supreme realm and transcending the universe could one get rid of such a curse.
Feeling the kindness of the Legendary Wizards, Levi smiled and said:
"Thank you, Andrea, I'm fine."
A figure came to Levi, it was the Starry Sky Sword Saint.
"Levi, you're Tenth Ring?"
"Yes."
"Hahaha, good thing! Don't forget our agreement."
"When the war is no longer so tense, I will find you for a spar."
Levi asked:
"What are the next plans for the Shadow World?"
Zarathus said: "This battle made me realize that being isolated here is not a way to fight against the Nightmare. This time, Lord Levi saved the day, but next time it may not be the case.
The Undying Shadow Vikna gave me inspiration. The Shadow World needs to end its long-term fragmented state and move towards integration and unification.
Starting with the Nora Dark Side, the Shadow World will be integrated into it, and then the dark sides scattered in the Multiverse will be collected to recast the dark side of the universe.
Therefore, I want to lead the Nine Shadow Lords to join the Nora Council. Please inform the Starry Sky Sword Saint and Hela."
The Starry Sky Sword Saint nodded and said, "I understand."
The Shadow World is different from the Void Sanctuary. The Void Sanctuary is similar to a nomadic organization, with no fixed abode. Hela never worries about the Nightmare Lords stealing her home.
Levi said, "That's excellent. The current Nora is like the Shadow World of the past; we are kindred spirits. Moreover, Nora exists on the light side, while you exist on the dark side. The two can coexist without major conflicts or competition.
The Shadow School within the Wizards can serve as a medium for communication between the light and dark sides, and will also help you collect the dark side fragments as soon as possible."
"Very well, thank you, Lord Levi."
In this way, the three-party alliance has become a two-party alliance, and the size of the Void Sanctuary is even less worth mentioning compared to Nora.
After discussing with the Supreme Council.
The great fusion with the Shadow World officially began. Unlike previous conventional plane fusions, this kind of super world, which was once close to a behemoth, is larger than all the existing New Continents combined, even if it is just the tip of the iceberg.
If the fusion is successful, the Nora Dark Side will skyrocket. The feedback power will be enough to bring unprecedented improvements to the Nora light side as well.
Five years later.
Nora Calendar 2170, Bloody Battle 2058.
Nightmare World, Lost Domain.
Twenty-nine Nightmare Lords descended from the sky, their faces heavy, as if mourning their parents. They remained silent for a long time until a white bone figure arrived.
"Pale Monarch? You're not dead?"
The Lost Monarch questioned.
The other monarchs also stared at the Pale Monarch with cold eyes.
The Pale Monarch showed a wry smile and sighed:
"I... I was sealed by that Twilight Hall Master and almost died. Fortunately, I relied on the White Bone Disintegration technique to escape back to the Nightmare World in the state of a tiny dust particle, and was reborn again, but my realm has declined somewhat.
At that time, I was in a very weak state, and it would have been useless to participate in the war, so I temporarily avoided the limelight to preserve the living strength of the Nightmare."
Listening to its explanation, the monarchs did not suspect anything. The Pale Monarch's frontal combat ability is average, but its ability to save its life is among the best in the Nightmare.
They were just very unhappy with the Pale Monarch's behavior, but this is in line with common sense. If it were them, they would definitely prioritize saving their lives.
From another perspective, this can be regarded as a blessing in disguise. At least, the number of fallen monarchs is not four, but three.
The Pale Monarch cautiously asked, "Lord Lost, what do we do now?"
The Lost Monarch whispered, "Rest for a while, and then join up with the Ignorance Monarch."
It doesn't understand why the Ignorance Monarch didn't take advantage of Nora's empty military force to attack, missing the great opportunity it had worked so hard to create.
Eliminating the Shadow World has never been the focus.
These Shadow natives are just eking out a living.
In this era, the real destabilizing factor is Nora!
The appearance of the Twilight Hall Master confirms this point.
With the power of one person, he changed the situation on the Shadow Battlefield, killing three monarchs and severely injuring one monarch. Even it is a little afraid of such a record.
Void Sanctuary.
Hela sits high on the Death Saint Seat.
"As expected of Sauron's successor, he swept through everything upon entering the Tenth Ring. If he doesn't die young, his promotion to the Supreme is a certainty. I hope he can remember his agreement with me... Supreme, should I take that step or not?
Now that the Shadow is about to merge into Nora, it is just a fantasy for my dozen or so people to fight against the council. If the Void Sanctuary can survive to the new world, and find a way to leave this universe, why not open up a new place..."
Although Hela is a woman, she doesn't like being under anyone.
She craves adventure, craves the unknown, craves conquest.
Netherworld.
Inside the Nether Ancestor Hall, the gray-robed swordswoman opened her eyes. A sinister and eerie powerful thought crossed endless time and space, transforming into a phantom before her. Its face was unclear, resembling a skinned, fleshy human figure.
The Lord of Terror, the spokesperson for the Nightmare World, coldly asked, "Is the Netherworld also going to participate in our Nightmare affairs?"
The Nether Ancestor's expression was calm as she wiped the long sword in her hand, and retorted, "Lord of Terror, long time no see. Has your injury healed?"
"Hmph, if you want to start a war, just say it directly. We Nightmares will accept it. Don't pretend to be neutral while making small moves behind our backs."
The Lord of Terror dissipated, and the Nether Ancestor remained unmoved.
The Netherworld had no intention of starting a war with the Nightmare for the time being. The Abyss was the number one enemy, and she didn't want to do a wedding dress for those insects in the Star Realm.
As for Lyon by Levi's side, she couldn't control him either.
That little guy looked unremarkable, but his previous life belonged to a powerhouse who could step into the Supreme at any time, but he didn't want to do so.
Bored, he chose to be reborn, intending to change his way of life and become Levi's pet. Except for the Mother River, he didn't need to obey anyone.
Among the current top three Nether Emperors of the Netherworld, the third is the Reincarnation Nether Emperor, the second is the Life and Death Nether Emperor, and only the position of the first Nether Emperor is vacant.
This seat once belonged to: Spirit Emperor Lyon.
Within the Multiverse.
The Fire Monarch, the Void Great Emperor, the End Dragon Bird, and a group of other old powerhouses all had different expressions when they heard that the Nightmare World had been defeated by the Shadow. Some were happy and some were worried.
The Twilight Hall Master, who had dominated the Multiverse for thousands of years, finally stepped into the Tenth Ring. Whether this heralded the beginning of a new era, no one knew.
But what could be foreseen was that the following Multiverse would inevitably be full of bloody storms, and unimaginable gods and demons would fall, and powerhouses would wither.
Even if Nora was defeated after ten thousand years.
This civilization and those legendary figures like brilliant stars would leave a strong mark in the Annals of Time. To accomplish what the naturally powerful dragons and giants could do with a human body was already a miracle.
Darkness Zone.
A certain battlefield.
The World-Defying, Emptiness, Sloth, and Wrath, the Four Demon Kings of the late Tenth Ring, were connected by their auras, forming a red-black wall strong enough to make even a peak Tenth Ring expert change color.
In front of them, more than a dozen gods and a God Incarnation with storm wings and a height of ten thousand miles stood in the void, and dazzling Divine Arts swept over the sky and covered the earth.
"Four Demon Kings, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you want to provoke a war between the Nightmare and the Star Realm?" Relying on the power of the gods, the Storm Emperor fought one against four.
"Hehe, Storm Emperor, you have a good plan. While we are attacking Nora, you are quietly descending God Incarnations. Don't tell me you are here for a tour of the Multiverse," the World-Defying Demon Lord sneered.
The Storm Emperor said, "How could you possibly know that I was going to descend?"
The World-Defying Monarch said triumphantly, "The military advisor is incredibly resourceful and knew long ago about the evil intentions of you hypocrites. Go back to the Star Realm... Nora is doomed to be eaten by the Nightmare!"
"Daydreaming, Nora is originally my land of faith. I am now just taking back lost territory. When has the Star Realm ever feared your Nightmare?"
"Then let's see the real chapter!"
The battle between the two sides had lasted for several years, and neither side was willing to give in, resulting in a stalemate, until streaks of ink-colored lines descended, outlining the figure of the Lost Monarch.
The arrival of the Four Emperors shook the heavens and the earth, and the Storm Emperor's expression changed. The Lost Monarch casually shot out a line of ink, shattering time and space, and annihilating everything.
"Retreat!"
A giant elliptical shield interwoven with hurricanes and thunder formed in front of the Storm Emperor. The ink line collided with the shield, exploding cracks, and the shock wave swept across hundreds of thousands of miles.
The Storm Emperor asked:
"Lost Monarch? Aren't you on the Shadow Battlefield?"
Hearing this, the Lost Monarch's eyelids twitched.
It really was touching a sore spot.
It was too lazy to explain anything and said coldly, "Get out of here. I'm too lazy to fight with you today. Your Star Realm is now like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river, unable to save itself, so don't force yourself to participate in the affairs of Nora.
Being too greedy will cost you your life."
The Storm Emperor, as a top Great God ranked in the top ten, whose fame and strength were not inferior to the Nightmare Four Emperors, smiled contemptuously: "Even if our Star Realm is burdened by the Dark Insect Race Calamity, it is not something you can touch. Nightmare, we will meet again."
The Star Realm army departed, and the Lost Monarch looked at the Four Demon Kings: "Why aren't you conquering Nora? Why waste time dealing with the Star Realm?"
The Emptiness Demon Lord said, "With the Star Realm and the Abyss, a tiger and a wolf, behind us, how dare we confidently attack Nora? Fifty monarchs are many, but those Legendary figures in Nora aren't pushovers either."
"Humph, take me to see the Ignorance Monarch."
"Ignorance, why didn't you listen to my advice? Now look, we've lost the only opportunity to destroy Nora. What were you thinking?"
The Lost Monarch questioned aggressively, his expression gloomy.
The Ignorance Monarch remained calm and composed, exuding an air of profound wisdom, as if he could see through the vicissitudes of life and calculate everything. He justified himself, saying, "Before you invited me to join, I said that small-scale wars would be your call, but key battles would be mine. Which victory against the Star Realm wasn't due to my strategy? What does a temporary setback matter? Besides, I'm not like you; I need to consider the big picture. If we followed your method, even if we took Nora, how many of these fifty monarchs would return to the Nightmare World alive? Would our gains compensate for the losses? Look at your side—three monarchs fallen and one seriously injured in a single day. How dare you question me with such a record!"
The two monarchs argued, neither willing to yield, while the other monarchs remained silent. The Ignorance Monarch's rebuttal left the Lost Monarch speechless for a moment.
To be fair, the Ignorance Monarch's tactics weren't wrong. Knowing that the Abyss and the Star Realm were waiting to profit, rushing in would indeed be unwise. However, missing the opportunity to take Nora was also an undeniable fact.
The Lost Monarch said, "The Twilight Hall Master is Tenth Ring, and his combat power may not be as great as ours, but his danger is no less than that of one of the Four Emperors. Now, either let Calamity and Death both come, or let the Lord of Terror descend. There is no other way."
The Ignorance Monarch said, "Summoning the Four Emperors is too difficult. The Lord of Terror is newly recovered from serious injuries and may not come. Moreover, the Supreme Will is asleep, and it's not easy for it to leave."
"Then what should we do?"
"Haven't you noticed? This setback isn't our fault; it's because the objective situation is too bad. The Abyss and the Star Realm have both entered the fray, muddying the waters.
The Star Realm is an absolute enemy; there's no possibility of cooperation between us. But we can try the Abyss. Although they are a group of chaotic lunatics, their desire to destroy Nora aligns with ours.
I plan to communicate with the Succubus Queen. Together, we have over 120 Tenth Ring experts. Why not temporarily join forces, take Nora together, and then rely on our own abilities?"
"What? Cooperate with the Abyss? We might as well charge in now! I don't believe that eighty-plus people can't take Nora!"
"Then you're welcome to try."
Suddenly, all the Nightmare Lords looked ahead. The dark void where Nora was located trembled violently, and a shadow much larger than Nora suddenly descended. It distorted the surrounding space-time, forming a void.
Visibly, Nora expanded outward like an inflating balloon, devouring many meteorites and shattered planes around it, turning them into part of itself. Earth-Fire Wind-Water constantly shaped the world at the edge of Nora's crystal wall, creating mountains and rivers out of thin air.
"What... what's going on?"
The expressions of many monarchs changed.
The Lost Monarch said solemnly, "How is this possible? The Shadow Will actually lowered its status and actively merged into Nora, merging with the Dark Side Will! Have these Shadow natives gone mad?"
The Ignorance Monarch remained silent.
From this moment on, the situation escalated further. Nora, after merging with the Shadow World, was already worthy of being called a quasi-juggernaut-level world.
What it lacked was resources, the foundation of strong individuals, and top-level combat power. If all these could be satisfied, then the fifth pole of the world would appear.
It's over, it seems like things have really blown up.
Nora Dark Side.
On the summit of Roger Mountain, Vikna raised his eyes to look at the sky.
Hundreds of millions of Shadow Rivers converged into the world, allowing the Dark Side to expand at an unimaginable speed. The positive and negative complemented each other. At this moment, on Nora's front side, more than forty Tenth Ring figures stood on the edge of the world, quietly watching the Seas Change, Fields Transform, and the rapid changes.
Lord Eamon alone guarded Sauron Continent.
Zarathus appeared beside him.
"Thank you, Lord Eamon."
"Thank you as well; we are mutually fulfilling each other."
"From now on, you will guard the front, and Vikna and I will guard the Dark Side. Speaking of which, Vikna is the biggest winner of this Shadow return. As the Dark Side Dominator of Nora, his strength can probably leap across two minor realms, which is rare in the world."
"Vikna's greatest ideal is to establish the Shadow Web Path. With your assistance, I believe that day will come soon."
"Yes, leave it to us."
Ten years later.
Nora Calendar 2180.
A black armored figure stood tall at the edge of Nora's expanding territory, planting a halberd beside him. He stood there, exuding an aura of 'one man guarding the pass, ten thousand cannot pass'.
In the shadows, there seemed to be many gazes spying.
Levi remained unmoved. Having returned from the Shadow World, he hadn't killed enough. Next, no matter who came, he dared to fight them.
It just depended on whether those monsters had the guts.
His feat of single-handedly slaying three Monarchs and severely injuring one within a day had spread throughout the Multiverse. The Twilight Hall Master's reputation was known to all.
From the moment he stepped into the Tenth Ring, his status in the eyes of many was no less than that of Lord Eamon or Hela, those old powerhouses.
Sensing Levi's killing intent.
Many malicious gazes retreated one after another.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had gone by.
The fusion of the Shadow World and the Nora Dark Side was completely finished, forming a Nora that was five times its previous size. It stretched across the darkness, so dazzling. In the void, Levi opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to go home.
"So-called behemoths are just a bunch of bullies who are afraid of strength."
Nora Dark Side.
Vikna's aura was imposing. Thanks to the feedback from the Nora Dark Side, he created the fastest promotion record from ordinary Tenth Ring to Tenth Ring Completion since the establishment of the council.
However, this kind of promotion was just an expansion of mental Strength. His state of mind, Knowledge, spells, foundation, etc., were far behind a normal Tenth Ring Completion.
Next, he still had to walk steadily.
But no matter what, Nora had more confidence in facing the Nightmare. With Vikna's authority as the Dark Side Dominator, even if the Four Emperors came, he could fight.
Now, the Nora Council has Tenth Ring Late Stage or above combatants, namely: Lord Eamon, Will of Azure Sky, Zarathus, Mountain Giant King, Spirit Grandmaster, Frost Witch, Vikna, and the Twilight Hall Master, a total of 8! Counting Hela of the Void Sanctuary and the Starry Sky Sword Saint, there are 10. These are Nora's deterrent, the pillars that can contend with existences such as Demon Lords and Demon Monarchs.
This day.
On the Tower of Babel, Lord Eamon delivered a speech to the entire Nora territory.
This is Nora Calendar 2200, Bloody Battle 2088, the Shadow World and Nora merge, watch and help each other, and overcome the great calamity together.
The Supreme Council seats have been increased by 12, totaling 56. Excluding the Dragon Flame Divine Wizard and Mr. Silver who have already fallen, there are currently 54 Tenth Ring combatants! Among the newly added seats, there are 10 Shadow Monarchs, and the Worm Overlord, who was freed from Black Emperor Enslavement by Levi, joined the Supreme Council and made up for his crimes.
The last one is the Twilight Hall Master.
This Knight pioneer officially advanced to the Tenth Ring Star Knight realm, with a human body comparable to the flesh of a mythical creature.
The Twilight Hall Master slew four Monarchs in the Shadow Battlefield, turning the tide, supporting the building that was about to collapse, reversing the battle situation, and worthy of the name Extremity Knight!
Hearing that Levi was Tenth Ring, the entire Nora territory celebrated! Before this, in order to raid the Nightmare, even Levi's closest people did not know that he had advanced.
This surprise stunned everyone.
Countless people cheered and applauded for it.
They called Levi: Ancestor of Knights! ...
Ancient Dragon Continent.
"I'm not the Ancestor of Knights, if I had to say, it should be Will of Azure Sky or the Ultimate Creation..." Levi thought helplessly.
He didn't care much about such false names.
But no matter whether he admitted it or not, in this era, when the common people of Nora mentioned Knights, the first person they thought of was Levi.
Just like when they mentioned Wizards, they would definitely mention Sauron.
Emperor Palace.
Elena also followed Levi and returned from the Shadow Battlefield. After nearly two hundred years of training, her Wizard cultivation was consolidated, and her Qi Sect and Knight paths had also gone a step further.
Coupled with many Ninth Ring treasures, her actual combat level was even better than ordinary Ninth Ring Middle Stage, and she could face Ninth Ring Completion head-on. When all three of her paths reach the Ninth Ring, she may be hard to beat below the Tenth Ring, another little Levi.
After a long drought meets sweet rain, after the reunion, Levi and Elena celebrated continuously, lingering for three months before ending the "battle" between the strong. Afterwards, Elena, with a rosy face, leaned in Levi's arms, drawing circles on his chest with her finger.
She thought of something and suddenly said:
"My ancestor of knights, you are now famous throughout the world, and you have advanced to Tenth Rank, and I am Ninth Rank... Should we have a child?"
"Yes, it seems that the Twilight Eighteen Knights have all started families, and only my Black Serpent Family has not yet continued the family line. There's no time like the present, let's begin."
"Oh, you actually agreed so readily? I thought you would be worried about the great calamity and unwilling to let a child be born into the flames of war?"
"Before, I didn't have enough Strength and hadn't gained a firm foothold in the Multiverse, so how could I dare to speak of a family? Now, looking at the world, there are no more than two palms' worth of people who can kill me, and half of them are still asleep, so naturally I can protect you and our child... Moreover, I am also very curious about how powerful our child will be after birth."
After a Knight reaches Ninth Rank, the essence of life has already leaped. The offspring conceived by a Tenth Rank Knight will inevitably be extraordinary.
After the two of them worked hard and fought continuously for half a year, until Elena was about to exceed her limit of endurance, she finally conceived successfully.
"No wonder pure-blooded dragons are so rare. I have the fertility bonus of the Lovers Rune, and it's still so difficult. Not to mention others."
Elena stroked her lower abdomen, feeling the prototype of the new life that had just combined. As an extraordinary being, she had a premonition in the dark:
"Levi, this little fellow is definitely not simple. I'm afraid it won't be born for a hundred years. Are you saying I won't give birth to a dragon?"
"It shouldn't be, I still have a lot of human blood. Strictly speaking, I can still be considered a person... The child is more like a human too."
"That's good."
In the flames of war, Levi was finally ready to be a father.
At this moment, what was on his shoulders was not only Ancient Dragon Continent and Nora, but also Elena and the child. Both the big family and the small family were equally important.
Two years later.
"Levi, I feel like I might be pregnant with three..."
"What? Let me see."
Levi looked inside Elena's womb and indeed found three strands of life being conceived, greedily absorbing the mother's nutrients and growing recklessly.
With a flash of inspiration, Levi summoned Lyon.
"Help me check the past lives of these three embryos."
"Yes, Master."
Lyon immediately began to browse.
Before long, it revealed a slightly surprised look.
"Master, I've found it, but I don't know if I should say it."
"Speak."
Lyon waved its hand, and scenes of past events began to play in reverse like slides. Levi saw all kinds of mortals, mortal beasts, and other creatures.
The picture froze 99 lives ago: snowy mountains, a white Northern Giant Bear mother ten feet tall in a cave, and three adorable little bears with different fur colors.
Then a pack of wolves killed the Giant Bear mother, and a young Knight repelled the pack of wolves going down the mountain. The old Knight found the three surviving little bears on the mountain.
Memories from more than 2,600 years ago flooded into his mind in an instant.
"That young Knight, is that you, Master?"
"Yes."
"That's great. The Three Little Bears have returned to your side after a hundred lifetimes."
"Three bear children, I'll be busy in the future."