# Chapter 373: Returning to Darkness

Seeing this, Nuxing's eyes widened slightly, and he shot forward, closing the distance in an instant.

Just as he was about to enter the Spatial Rift, he stopped.

His expression shifted, growing increasingly grim.

"Damn it... he actually got away?"

Nuxing wanted to give chase, but he had no idea where the Spatial Rift led. If powerful enemies were lying in wait on the other side, he'd be walking straight into a trap.

He hesitated for a moment, then let out a heavy breath and abandoned the pursuit.

After all, Yuan's strength was rising constantly. Once he emerged from seclusion, he would surely be able to destroy the Elf Race and Beast Race's Aberration organizations with ease. Nuxing saw no reason to take unnecessary risks at a time like this.

He stared into the massive Spatial Rift and let out a cold snort.

That Stone Elf had been surprisingly strong. If not for his own breakthrough in Stellar Laws, he might not have been a match for the creature.

*I really do owe that to Yuan...*

Putting the thought aside, Nuxing turned his attention to the surrounding area.

The surviving Aberrant Elf Race Saints and Battle Emperor-level powerhouses had been stunned into paralysis the moment they saw Spark flee. They had never imagined he would actually run.

When Nuxing's gaze swept over them, they froze in place, at a complete loss.

He snorted coldly. Starlight swirled around his body, and beams of stellar radiance lanced outward, striking every last Aberrant powerhouse with unerring precision. In barely an instant, every Aberrant still remaining in Misfortune Wilderness was dead.

Compared to a War God, Saints and those below them were simply too weak.

And Nuxing was no ordinary War God.

After dispatching the Aberrant powerhouses, his gaze swept further, landing on the swarms of Aberrant Feral Beasts spawned by the Corruption. He frowned slightly, and starlight flared again. Aberrant Feral Beasts died in droves.

Only when scarcely any remained in Misfortune Wilderness did he stop, turning his attention back to the Spatial Rift.

He channeled his Spirit Power, wrapping it around the rift and aiding the Land of Origin's will in repairing the tear in space.

Sky-Mending City.

Ruoshui stood watch over the Training Hall, guarding Lu Yuan during his seclusion.

Then Kro's massive form materialized out of thin air.

He glanced up at the shifting stellar phantoms, surprise crossing his features.

"The phantoms seem different. What happened?"

Ruoshui gave a soft laugh. "It seems Yuan has made new progress in his Law comprehension."

Kro froze, eyes going wide. "Really?!"

"That's what Nuxing said. He possesses Stellar Laws himself, so he should know."

"That's great... that's wonderful."

Kro murmured to himself for a moment, then something occurred to him, and his expression turned serious.

"I should go deal with that Aberration incursion."

"No need," Ruoshui said.

Kro blinked. "Why not?"

"Nuxing already went. His understanding of Stellar Laws has deepened—he should have no trouble handling it."

Only then did Kro realize Nuxing wasn't here. He nodded, then sensed the distant Aberration aura gradually weakening. He cracked a grin and scratched his dinosaur-like head.

"Looks like you're right. Nuxing's already got it mostly handled. His strength's grown quite a bit, hasn't it? Tch..."

Ruoshui sighed. "It's a shame Yuan is comprehending Laws different from ours."

Kro nodded in agreement, then added, "By the way, I heard Spatial Rifts have appeared in the other three races' territories too. The Elf Race and Beast Race Aberration forces launched invasions there as well."

Ruoshui's brow furrowed. "What are they trying to do?"

Kro shook his head. "No idea."

He sighed, his expression darkening. "Back in the old days, the space in the Land of Origin's Upper Layer was far more stable than it is now. It never would have been this easy for outsiders to break in... Seems like our universe won't hold out much longer."

A flicker passed through Ruoshui's eyes. "That's true. But now we have Yuan. If he breaks through to Laws Rank, he should be able to save our universe."

Kro nodded, a spark of excitement showing on his face as he gazed up at the stellar phantoms overhead.

"Let's hope that kid grasps the Laws soon."

"Indeed..."

In the Elf Domain, on a desolate, barren planet, green light flickered intermittently across the surface.

Above an altar in the wastelands, two massive Spatial Rifts hung suspended in the air.

Upon the altar stood two figures: a Gold Elf composed of gray metal, and an Ice Elf formed of condensed frost.

Both were War God-level powerhouses of the Elf Race. They studied the Spatial Rifts in silence before the Ice Elf War God spoke.

"I wonder how things are going for Spark and Fick."

The Gold Elf's voice rang like clashing metal. "As long as the Spatial Rifts remain open, the Aberration Flames will spread and corrupt on their own. If they persist long enough, the Cosmic Origin absorbed will be sufficient for My Lord's gestation to succeed."

The Ice Elf War God nodded. "You have a point. With Spark and Fick's strength, as long as they don't run into that mysterious powerhouse who killed the King of Flesh, there shouldn't be any real problems. Before long, My Lord's gestation will be complete."

At that moment, a figure burst from one of the Spatial Rifts.

It was Spark—the one who had fled.

He was in terrible shape. Both legs severed, his left arm broken, his body riddled with cracks of every size. His aura was far weaker than it had been in the Land of Origin's Upper Layer.

Momentum carried him out of the rift before he could stop himself, and he slammed into the altar with a heavy crash, landing right at the feet of the two Elf Race War Gods.

"..."

The two War Gods stared at the battered figure in stunned silence, momentarily at a loss.

After an awkward pause, Spark's wracking coughs snapped them out of it. They crouched beside him immediately. Wisps of green flame flickered across the Gold Elf War God's body, flowing into Spark. His aura recovered rapidly, and the cracks across his body began to mend.

"Spark? Are you all right? What happened to you?" the Ice Elf demanded, frowning.

Spark propped himself up, his face grim. "I ran into the Human Race's War God Nuxing. I don't know how, but his strength has increased enormously compared to what our intelligence suggested. It only took a few exchanges before I was critically wounded."

"What?!"

Both the Gold Elf and Ice Elf War Gods recoiled in shock. They exchanged glances, disbelief written across their faces.

The Gold Elf spoke first. "Are you serious?! Among the four of us stationed outside, your strength ranks near the top—and you couldn't even handle Nuxing? He's really that powerful?!"

Spark nodded, his expression heavy. "It's true... I have no idea why he's grown so strong." He paused. "What about Fick?"

"Fick seems to be doing fine. He went to the Mechanical Race's territory. The Mechanical Race has been in disarray lately, and they've lost several War Gods—he shouldn't need to withdraw this quickly."

Spark exhaled slowly. "Good. As long as we hold out a while longer, we'll absorb enough Cosmic Origin to accelerate My Lord's gestation."

Both Elf Race War Gods nodded.

At the very least, the situation wasn't a total disaster.

Time passed. Because the Spatial Rift's area of effect was enormous—even larger than during the Heavenly Calamity Cult's previous invasion—and because Nuxing lacked Light Type Law Force, his ability to purify the Aberration Flames was limited. Helping the Land of Origin's will recover was slow going.

It took a long while before Nuxing finally managed to seal the Spatial Rift.

Even so, traces of Corruption lingered throughout Misfortune Wilderness. Without the power of Light, he couldn't effectively cleanse the tainted area—all he could do was cull a portion of the Aberrant Feral Beasts.

The remaining Corruption would have to fade as the Land of Origin healed on its own. In the meantime, the rate at which Aberrant Feral Beasts spawned in this region would far exceed what it had been before.

With the rift sealed, Nuxing departed Misfortune Wilderness and returned to Sky-Mending City.

The moment he arrived, he spotted Kro beside Ruoshui. He walked over with a smile.

"Kro."

Kro nodded and looked him over with a grin. "Didn't expect you to wrap things up so quickly. You've improved quite a lot."

Nuxing smiled, a trace of pride between his brows. "Not bad, if I do say so myself."

Ruoshui cut in. "Spatial Rifts have appeared in the other three races' territories as well. Since you two have time on your hands, why not go lend a hand? The Mechanical Kingdom in particular."

Nuxing and Kro both stiffened. They exchanged a resigned glance, then nodded.

"Fine, we'll go help."

As the Land of Origin's built-in capital and the largest city in Human Race territory, Sky-Mending City naturally had teleportation halls connecting it to the main cities of the other three races.

The two were about to head for the teleportation hall when the stellar phantoms in the sky shifted again.

The stars that had been endlessly cycling through birth and death now began to contract. Every celestial body drifted toward the center, drawn by an invisible vortex that swallowed them one by one. The once-brilliant phantom stars dimmed, their light fading. At the edges, darkness swelled.

"What's..."

All three War Gods froze.

Watching the stars vanish, Ruoshui asked tensely, "Could something have gone wrong?!"

Nuxing stared at the dimming sky in bewilderment. "That... that's impossible. How could something go wrong? Yuan's comprehension was clearly advancing just moments ago."

"Then what is this?"

Kro was equally frantic, scratching his head helplessly. He wanted to do something, but there was nothing any of them could do.

As they spoke, the last of the stars merged into the center, leaving behind a single brilliant point of light.

All around it, everything returned to darkness.