On each star dwelled an ancient deity, radiating blazing fire that illuminated all the heavens!
And the entire firmament, a vast starry sky, evolved into three distinct spaces, presenting three entirely different hues: red, green, and yellow. These hues also demarcated the Dark World into three factions: the Blood Alliance, led by the Blood Race; the Moon Lord Association, led by the Werewolves; and the Ancient Council, symbolized by the twilight of bygone days, entrenched in the Land of the Forsaken.
Hovering over Chu Yi was a deep crimson brilliance, as scorching as molten blood. Countless shadowy gazes looked down, selecting pawns that pleased them.
For the Divine War, deities from their respective factions selected pawns, granted them a sliver of their own power, and placed them onto the chessboard jointly constructed by the three powers.
Suddenly, Chu Yi felt a subtle gaze, yet it was as if a terrifying storm had swept through this space. The void collapsed and space shattered. What his eyes beheld was a scene fragmented like a mirror, slowly writhing and grotesquely twisting.
The fragments exploded, and rifts tore open, spewing endless darkness that transformed into countless tentacles. They tightly entwined him, dragging him into an infinite abyss.
The space became viscous, thick with moisture, submerging him as if in the deep sea, and he began to sink slowly.
Were the gods and demons of the Blood Alliance attacking him?
Chu Yi frowned. Possessing the Evolution Compendium, he remained clear-headed despite being in a state close to drowning. His eyes, illuminated by the Twilight Light, shone brilliantly.
The radiance shone, illuminating the writhing shadow in these deep waters, making it increasingly clear. Myriad tentacles writhed, like a benevolent mother wielding the authority of darkness, opening her arms to a lost lamb, inviting it to feel her mercy and gentleness...
A pale pink tentacle gently brushed across Chu Yi’s face. Its white-pink suckers were sticky, conveying a strange message mixed with an incomprehensible whisper.
Is this... does it want me to become its retainer?
As high-dimensional information surged in, Chu Yi’s sword-like eyebrows rose. He stared at the tentacled Evil God in the deep sea, his expression peculiar.
He was certain this deity was not part of the Blood Alliance.
Chu Yi triggered the extraction and found it feasible.
[You are extracting high-dimensional material.]
A line of fragmented text appeared. This time, Chu Yi saw clearly: the text was composed of countless, tiny, blood-red worms, slowly crawling.
[Current progress: 1%...]
"Great Supreme Being, may this humble one know Your divine name?" Chu Yi asked with a sincere smile.
The tentacles also seemed to grow excited, apparently satisfied with this humble ant.
Upon understanding just the first word, Chu Yi’s mind was bombarded with a massive information explosion. It felt as if his head was swelling, the threads of his Soul spreading outward. This caused his physical body to constantly distort, transforming into a mass of writhing flesh from which a dozen fleshy tumors erupted.
At that moment, Chu Yi understood why the Moon Princess had once said he would be unable to bear the other’s divine name. This divine name, when spoken by the deity itself, carried the deity’s own Mighty Power.
It felt as if in the next second, Chu Yi was going to explode!
However, this sight made the deity of a thousand tentacles immediately stop. A diffuse mist enveloped Chu Yi, bringing warmth and restoring him.
This Evil God is surprisingly considerate, Chu Yi thought.
However, Chu Yi also knew that this infusion of power was part of a ceremony to transform him into a retainer. Because a part of his body had transformed into a stream of water, and simultaneously, he instinctively felt a deep trust in this deity, an urge to reverently offer it everything he was.
An Evil God wielding the authority of water?
Chu Yi was surprised but not panicked; after all, he had long since prepared a state of Retrospect for himself.
At that moment, the cracks shattered.
A mass of crimson color surged in, transforming into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Myriad bones, piled like mountains, all roared in unison at this invading Evil God.
The tentacled Evil God was not to be outdone. Within this deep-sea world, it stirred up countless Frenzy currents, battling the blood-hued deity.
Chu Yi watched as an onlooker. If it weren’t for the many gods and demons present, he really would have wanted to release the Flower of Desire, letting them fight it out so he could reap the benefits like the fisherman in the fable.
Very quickly, the tentacled Evil God shattered, like a viscous cloud of vapor, and was absorbed into Chu Yi’s "kitchen."
Extraction successful!
[Fragment of an Ancient One’s Skin*1]
Truly generous, Chu Yi thought with a surge of delight.
Just as Chu Yi felt a surge of delight, the river of blood slowly retracted. A gaze filled with interest swept over Chu Yi.
It seems... surprised that I wasn’t transformed into a water retainer, Chu Yi mused.
Chu Yi lowered his head toward the river of blood, showing respect.
The deep-sea world shattered. Chu Yi returned to the manor, greeted by the stunned expressions of the nobles.
"Lord Chu Yi, were you selected by the Ancestor as a pawn?!" Count Magister couldn’t help but ask.
The appearance of the Dusk Giant Dragon had heralded the start of the Divine War, and the deities of the three factions had begun selecting their pawns. Chu Yi had disappeared for some time; he had clearly been chosen by the Ancestor!
But Chu Yi is a human Beast Tamer, the nobles wondered. How could the Ancestor choose him? Does he also have Blood Race lineage?
After a brief silence, a clamor erupted.
The nobles were shocked. If this was true, if even the great Ancestor had chosen this Chu Yi, wouldn’t they have to recognize him as their master? Even if he ordered them to die, they could not refuse. Because this was someone chosen by the Ancestor, his status would far surpass that of any Duke!
How could this be... Those on Count Milan’s side were even more astonished. Wasn’t he here as an undercover agent? Yet the Ancestor chose this human. Should they listen to the Duke, or to this human?
Count Milan was truly bewildered. What is all this about? A master suddenly appearing out of nowhere!
Jean, shrinking in a corner, couldn’t conceal his jealousy. Even the Ancestor chose him! He’s clearly just a lowly human; how can he possibly compare to the noble Blood Race...
"He... he’s actually so impressive! Even the Ancestor appreciates him so much," Denis exclaimed, her emerald eyes widening.
The Ancestor was an existence that ordinary Blood Race members like them revered their entire lives; a mere gaze from the Ancestor could dictate the fate of an entire family. And being chosen by the Ancestor signified extraordinary potential. There was a chance to become a Prince of the Blood Race, commanding thousands of Blood Race members—truly second only to the one, yet above tens of thousands!
"Silence," Chu Yi commanded. His mouth twitched; he understood the law of causality. He knew he had indeed been noticed by an Evil God, but it wasn’t that Ancestor who had chosen him. That Ancestor was here to deal with the foreign Evil God invading its territory.
And I should be thanking Lias, Chu Yi thought. I was the one who crafted Lias’s story into that of a Legendary Hero. That must be why that Ancestor intervened in time, likely wanting me to protect Lias in the Divine War.
Otherwise, how could a mere human like myself prompt such a great Ancestor to take action?
The assembled Blood Race members instantly quieted down, all watching Chu Yi with eager eyes. They no longer saw him as the detestable human who had coerced them, but as an important figure graced by the Ancestor’s favor.
"The Ancestor did not choose me," Chu Yi stated calmly.