The Last King Of Darkness-Chapter 1578 - 747: Dusk Glow Ring (Part 2)

Rod turned a deaf ear, both hands in motion, sending out a barrage of giant star shuttles like a torrential downpour.

Yet they had no effect on the Pope, instead provoking him further.

Boom!

The Fallen Pope roared furiously and lunged at him; one hand thrusting a black sword, the other slashing diagonally with a scythe. The ripples in the unstable Spiritual Energy were extremely clear, measuring only about 2,200,000 kilocals, just barely stronger than Rod.

After all, this was the attack of a True King, and the Primordial Spirit Power far surpassed Rod’s Monarch Spiritual Energy; it was impossible to block head-on.

However, the attack was too rigid, like that of a novice. Rod seized the right moment and easily dodged, counterattacking with a swift strike. The Star Longsword, formed by the condensation of the Star Line, struck his chest.

The Divine Strike activated on its own, and the immense power from the near-perfect conversion pierced through his chaotic Spiritual Defense, but failed to penetrate his body.

The body of a True King is inherently extremely tough, and after succumbing to Black Fog pollution, it underwent further enhancement. Even without Spiritual Defense, it couldn’t be easily pierced through.

The black hand once again lunged at Rod with speed. Although Rod evaded it once more, the black ray penetrated his soul again.

The pollution in his soul surged. Although Rod ingested several doses of the Flower of Humanity, the speed at which he cleared the pollution had reached its limit. He clearly recognized that he could not withstand further contamination for some time.

Yet Rod did not relinquish hope. He felt a strange confidence that he was destined to achieve victory and fulfill his pact with the Pope.

The Book of Knowledge sensed this belief and ceased persuading him to flee, instead opting to strategize for him with all its might.

Rod launched into another fierce battle with the Pope.

Despite the influence of the Residual Spirit, his Spiritual Energy was less than ten percent, yet he was still able to suppress Rod completely. This was even as Rod continuously employed the Eye of Divine; its silent power persisted in resisting the Pope, preventing him from imposing rule-level negative effects on Rod.

Furthermore, Rod faintly sensed that the effects of the Blank were fading. If the power from this star ended, he would be unable to use the Eye of Divine, with catastrophic consequences surely to follow.

Worse still, the internal struggle and resistance within the Pope’s soul were diminishing; the Residual Spirit wouldn’t last much longer before being devoured.

Once that happened, everything would be over, and he’d face a True King free from all fetters.

What should he do?

How could he defeat him quickly?

As his mind raced, a flash of insight struck Rod’s mind.

But, he was not confident it would be effective.

Yet, he had no choice but to try.

With a thought, he instantly triggered the Wind’s Phantom, and a powerful phantom materialized not far away.

Rod controlled the phantom to attack the True King. As expected, the already confused Pope couldn’t tell the difference between the phantoms, and he launched another lethal strike.

But this time, before the black hand behind him could descend, Rod shouted and leaped from the shadows. With all his power concentrated in one strike, he pierced his right side below the ribs.

Simultaneously, Sin’s Touch activated instantly, the invisible tendrils frantically tearing at the Pope’s flesh, weakening his defenses.

Slash!

Sure enough, the Star Longsword pierced through the flesh beneath his ribs, severed his ribs, and struck the Star Power hidden beneath the body of the fallen Pope, O’Sullivan, of the White Sect.

The weak point the Residual Spirit mentioned was right there on his right side!

Boom!

In the next instant, infinite starlight burst forth from the Pope’s body. An unprecedented cleansing aura flooded into the depths of his soul, cracks spreading all over his Soul Body, with an unstoppable, terrifying force disintegrating his soul and body.

"Ahhhhh!"

The Pope let out a cry of anguish, his voice echoing ethereal and vast as if the starry sky above the Spirit Realm had fallen within his body.

Rod had never seen such powerful starry sky power; that endless, pure, and terrifying energy utterly penetrated the True King’s soul, forcing the Black Fog to be expelled from the pitch-black Soul Body, and the boiling black gas instantly engulfed the Holy Fire Sacrificial Ground.

Without a doubt, the True King had fallen.

The Residual Spirit had not lied; Pope O’Sullivan had indeed hidden a power within his body that was enough to destroy himself before his death.

Even so, Rod was profoundly shaken.

"What kind of power is this? It could actually cause a True King to fall."

The Book of Knowledge’s pages turned unconsciously, murmuring, "He buried the power of the starry sky inside the most fragile and thinnest part of his soul. When it erupted, it tore his Soul Body and Spiritual Body from the inside; a True King without a Divine Origin Base couldn’t possibly enter absolute defense, no, even if he had, it would be of no use. The soul’s blast couldn’t be defended by a Divine Origin Base."

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Horrifying explosion sounds emanated from the Pope’s body, endless black dust expelled from his soul. From his face, eye sockets, and mouth corners, black pus flowed out, the soul shattered into pieces, and the Soul Body disintegrated into shards.

Yet, the Pope’s lips curled slightly, forming a faint smile.

"Ah, you truly did not disappoint me, as expected of Troli’s Invincible War God."

Rod knew this was the Pope’s final flashback, in the Infinite-Quantization of the Black Fog returning to the Void, his consciousness regained brief clarity, revealing the true soul of the Pope, not the Residual Spirit. However, this time only lasted for a mere dozen seconds.

"Great, truly great. I knew humanity still has hope, we still have hope."

The Pope’s voice was filled with joy, yet it also carried urgency.

"The starry sky, the starry sky’s catastrophe is soon to arrive, be careful, be careful."

"The great human spirit is dispersing, the terrifying starry sky demon will devour the flame’s light."

"Eternal Sanctuary, build the Eternal Sanctuary! It’s the only way to avert this dreadful disaster!"

"At the final moment of destruction, I used the Dusk Glow Ring to gain the secrets of the starry sky, the Pure Star Source Ritual, the High-Temperature Star Marrow Refinement, the Light-gathering Stone energy, and also, the Divine Stone Condensation Method!"

"More information is within my soul."

"Lastly, could you tell me?"

The Pope’s face had already cracked, black blood gushing from his eye sockets, but his expression of hope was still plainly visible.

"Has Saint Reel been destroyed, does my realm still continue?"

Meeting the Pope’s gaze, Rod spoke with unprecedented seriousness.

"Yes, Saint Reel has found a new beginning on new lands."

"Good."

The Pope sighed softly, and then his body exploded, his soul shattered.

A massive stream of gray energy plunged into Rod’s chest.

[O’Sullivan’s Soul]