I became a god by treasure hunting after arriving 500 years early-Chapter 665 - 484: Snake-man Palace, Disturbance!

The silent arena lay in utter stillness.

Each passing moment during the anxious wait felt like an unbearable torment.

After a while, everyone seemed to sense something terrifying. One by one, they turned their heads to look toward the distant horizon—the dark clouds in the sky had vanished without anyone noticing. A fissure in the lead-gray clouds revealed a sky of clear azure blue, and sunlight abruptly poured down.

However, that sunlight brought no warmth; instead, it cast a chill over faces already pale with despair.

A massive shadow, shaped like a Snake-man, obscured the light that had barely broken through!

It truly blotted out the sky and eclipsed the sun.

Even though it was but a mere shadow, it made minds nearly grind to a halt.

What was more bizarre was that an eye within the shadow rested half-open, as if viscous fluid seeped from its eerie socket.

It seemed as though something terrible had occurred there… approximately... perhaps...

"What is that thing?" Jin Bote's heart thundered as he instinctively lowered his voice.

If the terror induced by the earlier [Demon] rated as merely "one," then the dread that this shadow instilled could easily reach a hundred—perhaps even higher!

His mind was now barely coherent.

"Oh no, the [Ghost] inside the Snake-man Palace has been provoked and is showing signs of revival," muttered Old Cat.

Jin Dongliang and Guo Dafeng turned ashen, standing frozen for a while before squeezing out a single sentence: "Can Commander Lu handle it?"

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"Throw everything he has at it, and maybe he can struggle for a moment. It mostly depends on how the abilities counter each other," Old Cat replied. "Though, in all honesty, I lean toward the conclusion that Lu Yuan will probably flee on sight of this thing."

Conch shot him a glare, as if to say, "Friend, can't you say something more uplifting?"

But to speak truthfully, the offensive power of the Greedy Demon God indeed fell short in some respects.

Attempting to seal away a [Ghost] solely by burning Luck to wield [Eternal Flame·Extreme] was close to impossible.

Jin Bote gritted his teeth: "Then what's to become of our Lanpeng Civilization? Lord of Tiger's Grace, I beg of you—save us!"

Old Cat retorted venomously, "The only solution: pray."

"What?"

"Pray that it does not awaken! Pray that the concealed [Monster] suppresses the [Ghost]!"

…

Within the Snake-man Palace, a dreadful aura leaked forth relentlessly. Animals across the grasslands, frightened to their core, crouched trembling on the ground.

The gigantic shadow and its sinister eye, on the verge of opening at any moment, loomed oppressively. Nobody could discern whether the shadow was a tangible entity or merely an apparition—it did little more than obscure the sunlight above.

Deep, overwhelming fear spread throughout the two unfortunate cities trapped in its presence.

Green Grass City swiftly convened an upper-tier meeting. Though Lu Yuan, Old Cat, Conch, and others were absent, the upper council identified the event as a precursor to an S-class disaster outbreak.

Sha Kan'er and the other rotating officers widened their eyes, gazing out toward the distance.

Their hearts raced with the memory of horrors past.

"This thing… it resembles the [Painted Skin] disaster of old! No—it's a new iteration of the Ghost Mist Disaster! And far stronger than the Ghost Mist Disaster!!"

Lu Tiantian, Sha Mo, and others also stood on edge, their faces set in grim silence.

In the face of a [Ghost]-level catastrophe, all strategies proved futile.

A [Ghost] was devoid of intellect—it crushed onward with relentless force, leaving most civilizations in ruins.

The younger generations shook with fear.

A generational challenge awaited them; now their particular disaster had arrived.

Atop the tallest branches of the Opium Poppy tree, the Little Mirage Dragon opened its eyes, a flicker of worry flashing within. It began to exhale mist, attempting to envelop Sky City in a protective shroud. Yet, the strength of the Little Mirage Dragon amounted only to that of a Level 9 Creature, making it no more than a mere Little Loach in the face of an actual [Ghost].

The cities bustled with activity as emergency evacuations began.

"Report! The activity of [Ghost·Mutation] has multiplied by threefold above normal levels! It's knocking on the glass again!"

"Can it be subdued?"

"It's likely… but we'll need more personnel!"

"What's the situation with the diplomatic team?"

"No updates. We've temporarily lost contact…"

"The Lanpeng Civilization has launched an official condemnation against us!!"

"What?"

The blue-feathered Birdman, appearing on video, issued sharp criticisms, claiming "humans are treacherous, have kidnapped the prince, destroyed bilateral friendship, violated cooperation foundations," and other charges piled atop one another, leaving everyone puzzled.

How could we possibly have kidnapped their prince?

Was he worth enough for us to even consider kidnapping him?

The upper council deliberated the matter amongst dozens of members, deciding to string along the accusations from Lanpeng Civilization for the time being, prioritizing internal issues first.

They urgently announced three plans: "Emergency civilian evacuation," "Sky City descent," and "Enhanced military readiness."

The Human 18th Civilization had matured substantially through disasters past; societal systems could still operate relatively smoothly even in the absence of leadership.

In fact, some even began to consider… the Hibernation Act!

It was the absolute highest-grade evacuation measure!

…

Meanwhile, the Lanpeng Civilization's Quincy City descended into sheer chaos!

An unknown horror struck within the diplomatic floating arena, leaving their supreme leader's fate uncertain—rumors even suggested he'd been abducted by humans. Meanwhile, such celestial anomalies unfolded overhead!

"Report! Humans have issued a fierce condemnation against us!"

"They're claiming we unleashed the most troublesome of the Four Great Calamities—the [Ghost]! It's supposedly our responsibility!"

"What? How dare they condemn us!" The nobles recoiled in astonishment. Truthfully, they, too, had no inkling of what had transpired within the arena. Did we truly do this?

What even is a [Ghost]?

But the term 'catastrophe-level anomaly'… that, at least, they understood.

Even worse, many people abruptly began foaming at the mouth, collapsing into unconsciousness! No explanation or cause could be determined!

"Duke, for reasons unknown, their brainwaves seem to have abruptly plunged into vegetative states… there's currently no available rescue method." (They were controlled by the [Demon].)

All of this combined left them utterly floundering.

This was undoubtedly the greatest crisis in the history of the Lanpeng Civilization!

…

…

Roughly ten minutes later, the Greedy Demon God reappeared within the arena.

By now, he had swollen to a height of 10 meters!

His intense combat had driven body temperature so high that his skin glowed like magma, radiating blistering orange-red heat.

His entire frame emitted white smoke.

At the moment of his return, Conch, Old Cat, and the others immediately felt a surge of calm, as though a stabilizing anchor had grounded them.

[A mere [Demon]—fear not, it's already been eliminated!] Lu Yuan flashed a cocky grin toward his beloved wife.

[Mr. Lu, the Greedy Demon God can't keep going—relinquish your divine powers at once!] Conch's telepathic message rang in his mind.

In reality, however, Greedy Demon God·Lu Yuan had yet to unleash his full potential…

His true form could grow to a towering 200 meters.

The main hindrance was… his reluctance to spend more money…

The budget was burning through resources!

But soon, he felt the tremors emanating from the Snake-man Palace, causing his heart to sink heavily.

That was the real terror—standing tall brought him perspective, but it came paired with the crushing pressure of the shadow above… He likely stood no chance of prevailing, not even with the assistance of his [Steel] ability, which would merely buy him some time.

Sealing away a [Ghost] proved to be an excruciatingly arduous task.

"Why has the [Ghost] awakened all of a sudden? Could my battle with the [Demon] have triggered something?"

Lu Yuan furrowed his brow, repairing his battered body while contemplating the colossal shadow in the sky.

The blood-colored eye perpetually dripped viscous fluid.

Yet, it seemed merely a projection, an ethereal shadow tethered to another realm, leaving the grasslands before him untouched.

He couldn't even confirm whether this [Ghost] was intact, or if—like [Demon·Controlling Ruins] claimed—it was merely a fragment.

Nevertheless, what had happened could not be undone.

"This [Demon] must be annihilated. If not, it will be humans who die… My choice was the right one."

"As for the [Ghost], which teeters on the brink of revival… we'll take it one step at a time."

His resolve solidified.

Within Lu Yuan's hands lay a crystalline substance, resembling coarse salt, encased in the crimson glow of the Eternal Spark.

His eyes narrowed slightly, examining the material.

The analysis came swiftly:

[The remains of [Demon·Controlling Ruins], possessing abilities: Body of Thousand, Mind Control, Time Control, Metal Control, Possession Rebirth.]

[Consuming these remains will grant you immediate access to all five Divine Skills.]

[However, your consciousness will be influenced by its essence, forcing you into perpetual conflict with its sway until you succumb to its devouring embrace.]

[Note: Once a [Demon·Controlling Ruins] manifests, all other corresponding remains will lose efficacy. Only one [Demon·Controlling Ruins] can exist within this world.]

[In times of despair, many civilizations have turned to the power of a [Demon]. Is humanity truly stronger than [Demons]? This remains an enigmatic question.]

[Demons] are unkillable; they perpetually undergo Possession Rebirth.

Lu Yuan sealed the remains within a container, releasing a long, relieved sigh.

Reflecting on the recent battle, he issued his victorious proclamation: "The foe was strong… but I am stronger…"

[Demon·Controlling Ruins] had proved far more formidable than Lu Yuan had anticipated.

He initially assumed that the "Greedy Demon God" would easily overpower such a feeble [Demon].

After all, when unleashed fully, the "Greedy Demon God" could even stand a few rounds against a [Ghost]; beating a non-combat-focused [Demon] ought to have been effortless!

But reality told a different story.

[Demon·Controlling Ruins] employed mechanisms so intricate and ingenious, each layer interlocked seamlessly with the next, creating a synergy that amplified its power exponentially.