Chapter 109: Nibelungen

The Chen family is finished!

As the fire meteor descended and the massive mushroom cloud billowed upward, this thought struck everyone simultaneously. Even though the entire Chen clan was not present within the estate at that moment, with their stronghold lost and their core leadership annihilated, the survivors could only scatter like birds and beasts.

Of course, a centipede dies but never falls stiff; the Chen family surely had contingency plans in place. Yet, in the face of the grand, overwhelming momentum of the Heavenly Kingdom, which was now stepping into the light, such efforts were nothing more than a mantis trying to block a chariot.

As Chen Cang himself had stated, the secret to the power held by hybrids lies in absolute force. Once force can no longer serve as a foundation, they naturally collapse faster than anyone else.

The gargantuan mushroom cloud expanded madly, but just as it reached its peak, it was as if it had struck something solid. Hundreds of meters high and thousands of meters wide, the cloud of dust was instantly cleaved clean down the middle, as if sliced by a butcher’s knife.

Falling from five times the speed of sound via freefall to a complete stop took only three seconds. Liu Tian, holding one person in each hand, landed lightly on the ground.

"How was it? How do you feel?" Liu Tian asked.

"Great! That was so thrilling!" Xia Mi seemed somewhat excited, the flush of blood rushing to her brain yet to subside. "It’s my first time experiencing something like this—we should do it more often when we get the chance."

"It was alright." Chu Zihang shook her head, easily suppressing the aftereffects of the vacuum and extreme acceleration. "But—don't do it again next time."

"You... you bastards!" Chen Mo, the youngest son of the Chen family patriarch, crawled out from the rubble, dragging his mangled body. Relying on "Immortal," a high-risk Spirit of the Elements that could reinforce his body to the level of titanium alloy, along with a great deal of luck, he was the only one to survive. "You lunatics! The Heavenly Kingdom is full of madmen!"

"Mad?" Liu Tian tilted his head. "I think we’re quite reasonable—after all, I sent out a notice in advance."

"You didn't really think my warning was a joke, did you? If you don't surrender, you are an enemy—and enemies must die!"

Unable to offer a rebuttal, Chen Mo just gaped, laughing miserably. "Someone will avenge the Chen family."

"I shall look forward to it," Liu Tian said calmly, a long-lost sensation suddenly welling up in his heart. "So that’s it? Is this why you were stalling for time? It seems the Chen family still has some hidden depth—perhaps I should have given you more time; you might have made for a decent toy."

What is this?

Unlike the first time, when she was completely oblivious, Chu Zihang, now many times stronger, also looked up. A familiar sensation emerged in her heart as well.

"A Nibelungen," Xia Mi said quietly. "An exotic space independent of the world, the true seat of the Dragon race’s kingdom. A man-made Nibelungen. I never expected human technology to have progressed this far."

It is well known that "hybrid" refers to those of mixed dragon and human lineage. When the dragon bloodline ratio is lower than the human, it is considered stable. In a stable state, the higher the proportion of dragon blood, the higher the bloodline rank. However, once the dragon blood exceeds fifty percent, the hybrid begins an unstoppable evolution toward a pure-blooded dragon. Because of the presence of human blood, the vast majority of hybrids can never evolve into true dragons; they simply wear away their sanity during this process, eventually turning into immortal, mindless monsters—creatures known as "Dead Servants."

The Chen family had entrenched themselves on this land for thousands of years. How many Dead Servants had they birthed? Were all those Dead Servants truly judged by them alone? Including their own, and those of other hybrid families?

The answer is—false!

There existed a massive Nibelungen, a man-made one established thousands of years ago, which had contained the countless Dead Servants that had appeared over the millennia. And the location of this Nibelungen was right beneath the Chen family estate.

This was the primary reason the Chen family had to stay firmly anchored here.

Offering no resistance, the three allowed the expanding Nibelungen to swallow them. Soon, walls of bronze replaced the sky, and celestial bodies that never changed—sun, moon, and stars—flickered in succession across its surface. Beneath their feet, countless streams of mercury circulated through carved channels, mimicking rivers and seas, with endless gold and treasures sinking and floating within the liquid metal.

A massive coffin stood upright in the very center, surrounded by countless Dead Servants in black cloaks kneeling on one knee—his most loyal subjects.

As Liu Tian fell into this world, a familiar, warm current began to pour into him.

What is this?

Liu Tian subconsciously opened his [Effort] panel. The Source Points on it were skyrocketing at a rate of ten points per second. 50, 60, 70... in less than half a minute, it had surged to 350, only then slowing down. Even so, it continued to tick up by one or two points every few seconds.

Why didn't this happen back in Odin’s Nibelungen?

Without showing surprise at the surge in points, Liu Tian frowned. He had pondered this question long ago—since most antiques related to the Dragon race provided him with Source Points, there was no reason that peculiar space, clearly built upon dragon technology, should not have.

Liu Tian had long suspected it, and now, his suspicion was confirmed: that dog Odin—the Nibelungen he invited them into was definitely not his true stronghold.

But that made sense. If you are going to cosplay as Odin, you have to do it properly. How could he use a modern city as his world? It should have been Valhalla!

What a cowardly, spineless rat, terrified of death. Was the person a fake? Was even the world a fake?

Chu Zihang slowly drew her Muramasa, guarding Liu Tian. Before her eyes, the powerful Dead Servants accumulated over thousands of years were beginning to awaken, stirred by the scent of blood spilling from Chen Mo’s body. Pair after pair of golden eyes lit up like lanterns in the dark.

"When the First Emperor first ascended the throne, he began the construction of Mount Li. After unifying the world, seven hundred thousand laborers were sent there. They dug through three layers of groundwater, poured molten bronze to seal the coffin, and filled it with palaces, officials, and rare artifacts. He ordered craftsmen to create crossbow traps, so that anyone who approached would be shot. He used mercury to create hundreds of rivers, lakes, and seas, mechanically circulating them, with the heavens above and the geography of the earth below." Xia Mi looked around, her crisp voice echoing through the grand hall. "It seems the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum unearthed previously was merely a facade. This is the true tomb of the First Emperor!"

"You've given me quite a surprise, Zihang." Liu Tian returned from his thoughts and flicked his fingers casually. "Right here, let us achieve the true King of the Century—using their blood."

"You animal, you really are a total jerk for being so rough with a beautiful girl," Xia Mi jumped up, letting her precious blood spill wastefully, and bit Liu Tian on the cheek. "Could you at least say something before you start attacking?"