Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1550: Six Demigods Beneath the Sky

As the massive serpent’s body writhed through the clouds, arcs of black lightning crackled around it. Its torch-like eyes occasionally flashed through the storm, radiating a chilling light that was enough to inspire dread in any who saw it.

As the sole spectator, Kraken felt a profound sense of awe, yet an overwhelming hunger to join the fray.

In the battle between dragon and serpent, Leonidas held a massive advantage. Both Kuray and Leonidas possessed serpentine true forms; as they tangled in the sky, crushing coils and violent physical collisions were their most direct methods of combat. However, Leonidas, possessing four draconic claws, exploited a brutal anatomical advantage.

Right now, Leonidas had all four claws buried deep into the black serpent’s flesh. Divine power flooded through his talons, relentlessly ravaging the serpent’s body from the inside out.

The struggle was a deafening cacophony of furious hisses and euphoric roars. The divine dragon constantly sought to spiral upward, utilizing the momentum of the heavens, while the giant serpent twisted and coiled, trying to drag the fight into a crushing deadlock to expose a chink in the dragon’s armor. It was a vicious tug-of-war. When the dragon roared, the earth shook; when the serpent hissed, thunder rolled.

Yet, this apocalyptic entanglement came to an abrupt, violent halt when a streak of searing, blinding light flashed through the sky.

...

The demigod phantom of Kuray, the black serpent that had been fighting Leonidas tooth and nail just a moment ago, was obliterated. A single, fatal strike. Not even ash remained.

Leonidas, still in his dragon form, froze mid-air. The terrifying surge of power had nearly scared the life out of him as well. Only when he realized it was Orion’s handiwork did he exhale a breath of relief, shifting back into his human form and materializing beside his brother.

Brother, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Leonidas transmitted. As a fellow member of the Dragonflight, the Dragonbane Helix was just as lethal to Leonidas as it was to Tegon Calthor.

As for Kuray—a mere First-Stage Demigod—Orion didn’t even need the Dragonbane Helix to annihilate him, but it certainly got the job done.

"That old dragon has some tricks up his sleeve. I had to execute the black serpent first to strip away his backup," Orion replied smoothly, not even looking at Leonidas. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the ocean below, glaring down at Tegon Calthor, who had just breached the surface.

"Your Excellency, was it truly necessary to be so ruthless?" Tegon demanded.

Orion had destroyed Kuray’s demigod phantom right in front of him. While not a true, permanent death, Kuray’s divine power had been severely crippled; it would take untold years of hoarded faith to recover from a blow like that. More importantly, Tegon had promised to protect Kuray during this crisis. With this outcome, Tegon had failed miserably, losing an immense amount of face.

"If you don’t wish to walk away, I can arrange for you to stay permanently!" Orion sneered down at the old dragon. Tegon might be a tricky opponent, but he wasn’t beyond Orion’s ability to kill.

Met with Orion’s murderous glare, Tegon’s expression darkened, but he swallowed his pride and fell silent.

Just then, a much older, infinitely heavier voice echoed in Orion’s ears. "Your Excellency, if you do not wish to walk away, I can arrange for you to stay as well."

The voice crashed like a peal of thunder, echoing through the spray of every wave across the ocean. The moment the voice rang out, the raging, storm-tossed sea instantly calmed. The chaotic waters flattened, turning as smooth and flawless as a pane of glass.

An old man—whose origins Orion could not decipher, and whose facial features were shrouded in a hazy blur—shuffled across the surface of the distant ocean, taking slow, deliberate steps toward them.

Third-Stage? Or perhaps... Fourth-Stage? Orion narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the approaching figure.

Simultaneously, three more demigod auras flared from different directions across the ocean, converging rapidly until they fell into line behind the mysterious old man. They glared at Leonidas and Orion with open hostility. As for Kraken, he seemed to have been entirely forgotten by the newcomers.

Son of a bitch, the waters in Squiddy’s world run deep, Leonidas cursed telepathically, his usual bravado rattled.

Orion was genuinely taken aback. "Complicated" was an understatement. Including the phantom of Kuray he had just obliterated, six Sea Folk demigods had now entered the fray. Among them, Tegon Calthor and this newly arrived elder were entities well beyond the First Stage. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered; this was getting dangerous.

Orion remained silent. Without a word, he summoned the shard of the Mirror of Theras. A colossal magic mirror expanded outward, blanketing the sky and casting a reflection over the entire visible ocean.

Thus, a surreal standoff took shape between the heavens and the earth. A mirror of calm ocean below, and a magic mirror spanning the sky above.

The moment the magic mirror materialized, the new elder looked up, his gaze locking onto the artifact.

"Abyssal energy, concentrated to its absolute peak," the old man murmured. "Friends from the Abyss. I do not care what transpired between you, Kuray, and Tegon. I do not care who is right or wrong. This matter ends here."

"The ocean requires tranquility," he continued. "When the waves grow too violent, no one survives—neither the Sea Folk, nor outsiders."

Orion still didn’t speak. He stared at the old man, calculating his true cultivation stage. Judging by his aura, it was highly probable he was a Third-Stage Demigod, with a slight chance he was Fourth-Stage. If he were a Fourth-Stage Demigod, Orion’s survival instincts would be screaming. But right now, while he felt threatened, it wasn’t the paralyzing, heart-stopping dread of imminent death.

"If you can guarantee his safety and his current territorial holdings in this world, then this matter ends here," Orion finally said after a long silence, pointing at Kraken, who had quietly moved to stand beside him and Leonidas.

Today’s conflict had started entirely because of Kraken. He had grown too powerful too quickly, drawing the attention of the black serpent, Kuray. Kuray had orchestrated an assassination attempt to force Kraken’s hidden backers into the light.

"He is a member of the Sea Folk. That is only natural," the strange old man replied, glancing at Kraken. His expression was placid, his eyes completely devoid of ripples as he agreed to Orion’s terms without a second thought.

Throughout this exchange, neither Tegon Calthor nor the three newly arrived Sea Folk demigods uttered a single word. Clearly, the old man’s authority among the Sea Folk was absolute.

"Very well. Then this is over," Orion declared. He glanced at Leonidas and Kraken, giving them a subtle nod, and transmitted a final order. Do not resist.

The next second, a beam of arcane light shot down from the magic mirror, enveloping the trio. In a flash, they were absorbed into the mirror and vanished from the sky. Their departure was completely silent, leaving no trace behind. Aside from the old man, the other demigods frowned deeply, their expressions grim.

"They are gone," the strange old man said a moment later, only speaking once he could no longer detect the magic mirror’s aura. He turned to Tegon Calthor, who had floated over to his side.

"Calthor. I have no interest in the origins of this feud. That is your own business," the old man said sternly. "But I expect the word I just gave to be honored. Ensure it does not become a joke. Can you do that?"

Tegon Calthor nodded solemnly. Kuray was gravely wounded and would be forced into a deep slumber for a very long time. As Kuray’s closest and most trusted ally, Tegon had the authority to make that call on his behalf.