Chapter 129: The Presence of Belial
"Is it Belial?"
Yue Longze frowned—though, in his transformed state, he could not actually knit his brows.
The energy signature was too subtle for him to definitively attribute it to Belial, but he could faintly sense the general direction from which it originated. Regardless of whether it was the traitor of the Land of Light, Yue Longze was determined to hunt down the source. The presence was immensely powerful and undeniably malevolent; it was certainly nothing good.
Yue Longze focused his concentration, pushing his sensory perception to its absolute limit. Even so, there were several moments where he nearly lost track of that sinister aura.
...
During his pursuit, Yue Longze encountered multiple waves of monsters and mass-produced Darklops. To avoid losing the trail of the evil presence, he struck with overwhelming force, clearing away these obstructive adversaries.
"What a nuisance," Yue Longze muttered, casting a cold gaze at the floating debris of the Darklops and monster corpses scattered throughout space. While they posed no real threat to him, they hindered his mission.
...
Having disposed of the obstacles, Yue Longze continued his pursuit. He had lost count of how many stars he had passed along the way. Several times, when massive meteorites blocked his path, he smashed straight through them rather than diverting his course, fearful that losing the trail even for a moment would make it impossible to track such a faint and elusive energy signature again.
...
"Have I gone mad?" Yue Longze wondered to himself. He was throwing himself into harm's way and enduring endless exhaustion, all to track down this source of evil. The journey was long and grueling. He often speculated on who the owner of this aura might be—was it Belial? Or perhaps some other hidden, deep-seated boss he had yet to encounter? Still, he leaned toward the possibility that it was indeed Belial.
...
After an arduous journey, the day finally arrived when Yue Longze could sense the source with startling clarity.
"It really is Belial!"
Yue Longze clenched his fists—the same fists that had felled countless foes. In his Light Form, he could fight Belial to a stalemate. But in his Dark Form, which was a notch weaker, a confrontation would certainly not be an even match; he would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage. Yue Longze felt a mix of anxiety, excitement, and a flicker of fear. Yet, at the same time, his blood began to boil. His emotions were complex. Was this essentially a suicide mission? That evil being would show no mercy. But to become stronger, he could not afford to be afraid!
With a gaze hardened by resolve, Yue Longze pressed forward into an unfamiliar sector of space, heading directly toward the origin of Belial's energy.
...
By Earth’s reckoning, another four days passed. Finally, Yue Longze arrived at the source of the evil energy: Belial’s location.
He remained on high alert, his mental focus razor-sharp as he scanned his surroundings. He had arrived at a massive planet—far smaller than Earth, to be sure, but significantly larger than the asteroids he had encountered earlier. The atmosphere was incredibly thin, even more so than that of Mars in the solar system. The surface was brown and scorching, faintly glowing with the hue of molten lava. In some areas, the ground had fractured on a massive scale; the fissures were filled with boiling, churning magma that hissed with heat, a sight that chilled the heart. Active volcanoes stood tall across the landscape.
This dark, desolate world was inhospitable to most life forms. Yue Longze, who had been hovering above, slowly descended onto the searing surface.
*Hiss!*
As soon as he touched the ground, white steam rose from beneath his feet. His soles were unharmed, but he stared at the steaming surface with a grave expression, inwardly startled. The temperature was higher than he had anticipated. Steadying his breath, Yue Longze lifted his leg and took his first step across the scorching, dark-hued lava planet.
...
Yue Longze kept his footsteps as quiet as possible, scanning his surroundings with vigilance. The energy signature confirmed that Belial was indeed on this planet. Perhaps he was lurking in some hidden corner, watching his every move.
As it turned out, Yue Longze was right—he was being watched! But it was not by Belial; it was by his three remaining subordinates, the Darkness Five. Of course, since Yue Longze had already slain the Alien Hipporit and the Alien Imperial, they were now effectively the Darkness Three.
Behind a towering, erupting volcano, Alien Mefilas stood at the lead, with Alien Groza and Alien Deathre flanking him, watching the newcomer intently. As for Belial, he was currently immersed within the planet’s largest volcano! His body was enveloped in magma, twitching rhythmically, and he let out occasional groans of agony. At a glance, it looked as if he were enduring some horrific torture, but in reality, Belial was absorbing the molten power of the planet. If successful, his strength would evolve and reach new heights.
"The Emperor's evolution is nearly complete. We must stall this intruder for now!" Alien Mefilas, the strategist and leader of the group, said in a grave tone.
"No problem," Alien Groza replied readily.
The typically taciturn Alien Deathre nodded slightly. They all understood the gravity of the situation; they could not allow any interference with Emperor Belial’s evolution!
...
Relying on the keen intuition he had honed since arriving in the Ultra world, Yue Longze sensed that something was amiss. His instincts warned him that danger lay to the front-left. He silently shifted his focus to that direction, channeling his internal energy and bracing for a sudden crisis.
As Yue Longze drew closer, the members of the Darkness Three grew tense. Yue Longze was formidable, having fought the Emperor to a draw previously. They were uncertain if the three of them combined could overcome him. They also wondered why, this time, Yue Longze’s form had reverted to the black color they had seen when they first encountered him.