Chapter 188: Venerable God of the Underworld

The atmosphere in the Cave was somewhat heavy. Most of the children, as well as the teenagers, had lost all desire to play, their faces bearing solemn expressions.

Only a few elders secretly wiped away tears. Losing another hundred Tribesmen was a devastating blow to them.

"Damn the Guard Corps! If they had not attacked that Spaceship, they would never have attracted so many Slave Traders!" someone cursed, gnashing their teeth.

"Exactly. They are well-equipped, yet not only do they refuse to help us survive, they actually brought down this massive calamity upon us."

"We are all of the same race... There is no need to blame them," another person sighed, shaking their head.

"Same race!?" a cold sneer rang out from the crowd. "Half a month ago, when we ran into that squad, do you remember what they said?"

At those words, many fell silent. Even the person who had just spoken up for the Guard Corps hesitated.

"They said the Guard Corps stood by and watched as their families were captured by Slave Traders, showing absolutely no intention of lending a helping hand."

"What 'same race'? The Guard Corps only cares about their own survival. They could not care less about us!"

She had not returned here in a long time and had no idea what Blazing Eye Star had become. Until she fully understood the situation, she was not prepared to reveal her Identity.

However... the Guard Corps? A thoughtful look crossed her eyes. 'Could they be the elite Blazing Eye guards who once answered directly to my father?'

'Every single one of them was a carefully chosen warrior, Utterly Loyal to Blazing Eye Star and the Blazing Eye Race. It is impossible for them to be so cold-blooded.'

"Shut up! Say no more!" Cassili shouted once again. However, having already forcibly suppressed the Tribesmen's emotions several times, and with most people now drowning in grief, the situation had finally spiraled out of control.

"Why should we not say it!" an old woman with bloodshot eyes screamed. Her son had died in the recent battle.

"Is it just because the Guard Corps once stood high above us?!"

"The Blazing Eye Race is on the verge of extinction now! Who cares if they are the Guard Corps or not!"

This emotional outburst was terrifying. Living in constant oppression, their feelings had been building up for a long time. Coupled with Cassili's poor leadership in this moment, he had now become their target for venting.

"Everyone..." Colin shakily stepped forward, and the crowd's furious emotions instantly paused.

His eyes were hollow, yet he looked around at the crowd, his voice calm. "The Guard Corps... indeed deserves to die."

The noisy clamor in the crowd instantly subsided significantly.

He paused before continuing, "But at the same time, they are not afraid of death."

"The elders all know that we once yearned to become members of the Guard Corps." His voice was unhurried yet incredibly powerful. "If you say they are clinging to life and afraid of death, I do not believe it."

"They have their own matters to attend to, and we have ours. As for us, we just need to survive."

"I do not know if there is a path forward, but as long as we are alive, there will always be hope."

Colin did not offer any motivational Chicken Soup; instead, he bluntly pointed out their current situation. And for the Blazing Eye Remnants who had long grown accustomed to this life, this was far more effective than any Chicken Soup.

After all, they were still alive... and as long as they were alive, there was hope.

Low whimpers echoed through the crowd, gradually fading into absolute silence. It seemed as though a portion of their vitality had been worn away once more.

"I apologize for the display," Colin said as he approached Li Yu and the others, supported by Cassili.

"It is nothing." Li Yu was merely an outsider, watching silently without any emotional fluctuations.

"May I ask, is that child named Mo Duo a wandering member of the Blazing Eye Race?" As expected, the other party began inquiring about Mo Duo's origins.

"Yes," Mo Duo replied. Her face revealed no ripples of emotion, remaining just as calm as Li Yu.

"Alas. You really did not have to return," Colin sighed. "There is nothing left here. You grew up on the outside, so you probably have no emotional attachment to this place. Why come back?"

Li Yu slightly narrowed his eyes. This old man seemed to be considering things from Mo Duo's perspective, but in reality, he was indirectly probing for her purpose in coming.

"I have my reasons for having to return," Mo Duo stated indifferently, her tone devoid of any emotion.

"Reasons for having to return?" Colin was slightly taken aback, nodding thoughtfully. "Could you tell me?"

"No," Mo Duo refused sharply.

Colin chuckled softly, "It is fine if you do not tell me. I hope you can achieve your goal."

Mo Duo responded with silence. After the two walked away, Li Yu finally began speaking with her. "What about that large pearl? Where is the place it mentioned? How do we get there?"

This group of Blazing Eye Remnants was about to leave, and Li Yu had no interest in following them on their perilous journey.

A flash of green light crossed Mo Duo's forehead before she spoke. "That place is in the Planetary Core Depths. We need a special passage to get there."

"What do you mean?" Li Yu frowned. They had already made it this far; surely there were not going to be eighty-one more trials to overcome.

"I know," Mo Duo said, as if she suddenly remembered something. "We need to find the Guard Corps."

"The Guard Corps..." Li Yu stroked his chin. Listening to Colin's description just now, he felt that the Guard Corps were not Traitors, but rather Guardians protecting some secret.

Mo Duo continued, "The Guard Corps consists of the Elite Blazing Eye Soldiers. If Blazing Eye Star has this passage, the Guard Corps will definitely know about it."

When she was very young, she had been sent away from Blazing Eye Star. It was as if her parents had foreseen the planet's disaster and left behind a Spark.

"Do you know where the Guard Corps is located?" Li Yu asked.

Mo Duo shook her head. Immediately after, both of them turned their gazes toward Colin.

Mo Duo promptly stepped forward and walked over. Li Yu thought for a moment before following her.

"Where is the Guard Corps?" Mo Duo asked directly. Trailing behind her, Li Yu let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly.

Ever since Mo Duo set foot on this planet, her emotions had been somewhat unstable. Now she was asking questions without any preamble—it would be a miracle if the other party actually answered.

Colin was slightly stunned for a moment before shaking his head. "So you are here looking for the Guard Corps. Unfortunately, I do not know where they are either."

"How is that possible? Do you not frequently receive news about the Guard Corps?" Mo Duo asked suspiciously.

"Those are all just rumors. Occasionally, when we run into other Tribesmen, we hear a few things, and we pass a few things on as well," Colin explained.

Cassili frowned slightly, looking at them with a hint of vigilance, unsure why they were suddenly asking about this.

"I am Ankeglen's daughter. I need to find the Guard Corps. It is a matter of utmost importance," Mo Duo stated bluntly, no longer bothering to hide it.

"Ankeglen?" Colin's body swayed, seemingly quite surprised. "You are the Princess Imperial!?"

"That is right. Tell me the location of the Guard Corps," Mo Duo nodded, asking once more.

"What!?" Cassili was also slightly shocked. No wonder he felt that Mo Duo was somewhat familiar; she was actually the Princess Imperial.

Back when they were selecting members for the Guard Corps, he had caught a glimpse of Mo Duo when she was young, though he himself had not been chosen.

Some nearby Blazing Eye Remnants also looked over in astonishment. To the majority of the Blazing Eye Race, a title like Princess Imperial was simply too distant from their reality.

It was so distant that it was merely an empty title to them, and they had no idea what changes a Princess Imperial could possibly bring to their lives.

"Princess Imperial? What is a Princess Imperial?"

"Can the Princess Imperial save us?"

"..."

The crowd grew noisy once again, with many people casting hopeful glances toward Mo Duo.

"The Guard Corps is located in the northern part of the Lorence Mountains, where the Gusang Monolith stands," Colin revealed the location, no longer concealing it.

"Let us go..." Mo Duo said decisively, turning around to leave. However, Li Yu did not move; he simply stared quietly at the hollow-eyed Colin.

And Colin, who had no eyes, surprisingly turned his head and met Li Yu's gaze.

"Who is looking at me?" Colin asked in confusion.

"Old man... how much longer are you going to put on this act?" Li Yu suddenly spoke.

"What do you mean, Your Excellency?" Cassili frowned, and Mo Duo also looked at Li Yu in bewilderment.

Li Yu chuckled. "An Old geezer who has survived the crisis that wiped out the Blazing Eye Race meets someone claiming to be the Princess, and you just bow in submission without the slightest bit of suspicion? That is far too unconvincing."

Colin paused, then suddenly burst out laughing. His aged laughter grew louder and louder until it filled the entire underground tunnel. "You people... you..."

He laughed until he was somewhat out of breath, saying, "You are quite clever. I thought I could fool you."

Mo Duo furrowed her brow deeply. Colin's emotions had clearly shown no fluctuations—how could he have been lying?

Cassili was also perplexed. "Uncle Colin, what is going on?"

"What is going on?" Colin sneered coldly. "Since His Majesty Ankeglen passed away, there have been exactly thirteen people who have impersonated the Princess Imperial over the years."

At these words, Mo Duo's expression shifted slightly. Cassili instantly understood and secretly made a few hand signals, though he could not help but add, "But I found her somewhat familiar, very much like the Princess from when she was a child."

"Familiar? Every single one of those princesses looked very much like her!" Colin retorted.

Li Yu rubbed his chin. 'So many people coming to impersonate Mo Duo—is it the Morgan Family's doing? Why would they need to impersonate Mo Duo? Could they not just strike directly?'

'Unless... there is something they cannot obtain even through violent means.'

Mo Duo had not expected such an outcome. She explained, "My Identity is real. Otherwise, why would I bother saving you? Nor would I have exposed my Identity so recklessly..."

Li Yu raised a hand to stop her. The other party already held a preconceived bias; the thirteen imposters had ensured they would never trust anyone again.

"Tell me the location of the Guard Corps!" Strange syllables poured into Colin's ears, yet he showed no reaction whatsoever.

"What incredibly profound Mental Power." Li Yu frowned slightly. This Old geezer's Mental Power was not inferior to his own in the slightest; in fact, it was even superior.

His own Mental Power was temporarily still at the C-class level, so the Bewitching Sound Seed was Powerless Against this Old geezer.

If that pair of eyes were still intact, he would probably be a B-Class Mental Power Cultivator.

Consequently, he tried his ability on the rest of the Blazing Eye Remnants. Although he successfully controlled them, they truly did not know the location of the Guard Corps.

Only Cassili managed to resist. Staring intensely at Li Yu, he shouted, "What are you doing!?"

His eyes flashed with a Crimson Glow as a Psionic Outburst surged out toward Li Yu. Their Mental Power had little effect on Biochemical Beasts because the brains of those biochemical monsters were damaged.

Those creatures were tools specifically created by the Morgan Family to deal with the Blazing Eye Race, but against normal lifeforms, this psychic attack still packed a significant punch.

However, when his Mental Power landed on Li Yu, it vanished without a trace, like a Clay Ox Entering The Sea, having absolutely no effect. The scepter icon on the Titan Colonization Armor flickered. Trying to control him? Impossible!

No matter how slow-witted the nearby Blazing Eye Remnants were, they realized something was wrong. They adopted vigilant stances one after another, their eyes flashing with light as they attempted to control the Esper Legion.

However, most of these ordinary Blazing Eye Remnants had not undergone systematic training, so their Mental Power was not strong enough to control the Esper Group.

"It really is you, Colin Amber, one of the thirteen Blazing Eye High Priests," Mo Duo finally confirmed the suspicion in her heart, revealing Colin's Identity.

"You certainly investigated my Identity thoroughly. It seems you did your homework before coming here." Colin made it clear that he simply did not believe Mo Duo's Identity.

"Blazing Eye High Priest... what a bluffing title. I just wonder, in your eyes, are the lives of these people more important, or the location of the Guard Corps?"

Li Yu extended the Ship-breaking Blade from his hand and pointed it at the Blazing Eye Remnants.

Cassili's expression turned ugly. He knew the power of this blade; just moments ago, it had sliced cleanly through the horn of a Sand Ox Beast. Its terror was absolute.

"Heh heh..." Colin let out a cold laugh of unknown meaning, but Cassili's heart went cold. Was Colin truly going to abandon them?

"It seems your heart is quite ruthless, old man. I just wonder if this ruthlessness is genuine or a fake." Carrying the blade, Li Yu slowly walked forward. He slashed at empty air a few times, leaving deep rifts in the Cave floor, as he advanced toward the crowd.

Mo Duo's eyes twitched slightly. 'There's no need to intimidate them this much, is there? He... he should just be scaring them, right? He definitely is... right?'

Right at that moment, the green light on Mo Duo's forehead flashed. A phantom projection of the large pearl emerged, and a magnificent voice resonated through the space:

"Colin..."

Hearing this voice, Colin was momentarily stunned before suddenly becoming intensely agitated. He prostrated himself directly on the ground, trembling as he said, "Is that you? Venerable God of the Underworld..."

"It is I..." The radiant green light branded itself onto Colin's forehead, seemingly communicating with him. Colin trembled all over, tears of blood once again flowing from his hollow eyes:

"It really is you! Not that Fallen One!"

Cassili was completely dumbfounded. Looking at the glowing green projection of the pearl, he seemed to have thought of something as well, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Only the ordinary Blazing Eye Remnants were still confused. How did they go from fighting to suddenly kneeling before the enemy?

'The Blazing Eye High Priest... could the entity they worship be this big pearl?' Li Yu suddenly realized, and he became increasingly certain of this guess.

A moment later, the projection dissipated. Colin climbed up from the ground, and his first words to Mo Duo were, "Princess Imperial, please forgive my offense."

"You believe it just like that?" Li Yu was speechless. Had he known the big pearl packed this much authority, he would not have wasted so much breath.

He had just been on the verge of chopping down a few Blazing Eye Remnants to threaten Colin. How awkward this was.

Under the gazes of the crowd, Li Yu nonchalantly retracted the Ship-breaking Blade as if nothing had happened, smiling as he said, "My acting just now was pretty convincing, right?"

Colin: "..."

Cassili: "..."

Blazing Eye Remnants: "..."