CHAPTER 915: AN OLD SOUL

Without warning, dozens of dark arcs of light burst forth from the Nether Stone, twisting through the air like living chains. They were impossibly fast, weaving through space and closing around everything in sight.

Max and Kevin barely had time to react before those arcs wrapped around their bodies, glowing with a sinister light that made their skin crawl.

"What is this?!" Max shouted in alarm, swinging his Blue Dragon Sword with all his might. Flames, lightning, sword, even his spatial concept-infused strikes—all were unleashed in an instant, colliding with the black arcs.

But to his horror, they didn’t even scratch them. The arcs of light were not only overwhelmingly powerful but unnaturally flexible, adjusting themselves mid-attack to resist every angle of his strike. Even the black flames that could devour almost anything failed to burn through them.

Kevin fared no better. His poisonous palm strikes and demonic energy slammed into the arcs but only made them tremble slightly before they tightened around him even more, coiling like serpents eager to crush and consume him.

The same arcs lashed out toward the black dog pack. One by one, the monstrous hounds yelped and writhed as they were bound, dragged screaming toward the Nether Stone’s base. Their bodies twisted helplessly, claws scraping the ground as they were pulled in, and then with a terrifying suction, they were swallowed whole into the stone’s pitch-black surface.

Within moments, dozens of black dogs were gone, leaving behind only their leader—the Black Dog King.

The King’s eyes blazed with fury and fear. With a deafening roar, it broke free from one arc of light, tearing it apart with raw force. Its twin heads snapped wildly, spewing arcs of black lightning that shattered the air itself, and it sprinted toward escape, desperate to break free from the terrifying artifact.

But the Nether Stone was merciless. Dozens more arcs shot out, intertwining in midair before wrapping around the Black Dog King’s massive body like chains forged from night itself. The beast roared, thrashing violently, its claws carving trenches into the ground, but it was dragged back step by step. Its immense power meant nothing against the will of the Nether Stone.

"No..." Max whispered, his face pale. If even the Black Dog King, a creature standing at the peak of the Legend Rank, was helpless, what hope did he and Kevin have?

The King fought to the bitter end, spewing black lightning, snapping its jaws, even attempting to sever its own entangled limbs to break free, but it was no use. In one swift motion, the arcs pulled it onto the Nether Stone’s surface.

A wet, grisly sound echoed as the beast’s body was absorbed, its blood bursting into the air like crimson flowers before vanishing entirely into the stone.

Max’s face turned ashen, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Blob’s voice rang urgently in his mind: "Max, this Nether Stone is beyond anything we’ve prepared for. I was right... this thing has birthed a spirit, and it’s terrifying. You are no match for it, not for heaven and earth itself. You must use everything you have and escape now!"

"Understood!" Max shouted back, gritting his teeth. Black flames erupted around him, his draconic essence roaring to life, and he poured all his strength into one final escape attempt.

At the same time, Kevin’s expression was cold and resolute as he conversed with Old Devil Dave internally, his voice sharp and filled with killing intent. "Old man, if we die here, I’m dragging you with me. Get ready—we fight to the death!"

Old Devil Dave chuckled darkly in Kevin’s mind but there was unease behind his tone: "Fine, boy... but hold nothing back. If we fail here, none of us are walking out alive."

The Nether Stone pulsed with a deep bloody light, and in that instant, Max and Kevin’s bodies froze completely, as if an invisible hand had reached out from the void and seized them by their souls. They couldn’t even twitch a finger, nor circulate their mana.

A chill colder than death ran down their spines, and then an ancient, hoarse voice echoed inside the cave, heavy with age and authority.

"Two little guys... if you wish to live, then stay very, very still and listen."

The sound was oppressive, carrying the weight of countless years, and both Max and Kevin felt as if their hearts were being crushed by mountains.

"Who are you?!" Kevin managed to shout through gritted teeth, his voice trembling despite himself.

"Are you... the spirit of the Nether Stone?" Max asked almost at the same time, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Inside their minds, they quickly reached out to their respective companions—Blob for Max and Old Devil Dave for Kevin—hoping for answers.

"Blob, can you see what’s inside it?" Max asked anxiously.

"This aura... it’s ancient, older than anything I’ve encountered. I... I don’t know, Max. Whatever this is, it’s far beyond me," Blob admitted solemnly.

At the same time, Old Devil Dave muttered with a rare tone of unease, "Kevin boy, this isn’t something I’ve ever encountered either... I can’t even sense what it is. That alone should tell you how dangerous it is."

The voice from the Nether Stone ignored their questions entirely, its tone becoming sharper, as though it was used to being obeyed.

"That is not something you need to know. I will ask only once... do you want to live?"

The two of them stiffened at those words, their instincts screaming that this voice meant exactly what it said—it could snuff out their lives in an instant if they said no.

"Senior... what do you require of us?" Max said quickly, keeping his tone as respectful as possible, but inside, he was drenched in cold sweat. He could feel an invisible pressure around his neck, as though one wrong word would be his last.

Kevin also lowered his tone, "Please... speak frankly, senior."

The voice rumbled like an ancient drum in their ears, "It is simple. Find four materials for me. The first is the Phoenix Blood Crystal... the second is the Dragon Blood Stone... the third is the Sun Essence Stone... and the fourth... is the Six Yin True Water. Bring these four materials to me, and I will allow you to live."

Max and Kevin froze on the spot, their expressions darkening.