Chapter 542 — Elder Council’s Decision & Slaughter

In a vast hall, several elderly figures could be seen standing.

If anyone familiar with the Human Temple’s power structure was here, they would recognize that they were all members of the Elders’ Council, the council in charge of the Human Temple during the Human Emperor’s absence.

Rumor had it that these people were from the same era as the Human Emperor, having witnessed his rise as his followers and having followed him through countless wars.

At this time, the Elders’ expressions were solemn.

Their eyes were glued to the lone figure at the very front, who was kneeling in front of an altar and praying to someone.

Gradually, relief filled their faces.

"Finally... After so long, we finally have the chance to remove those hidden dangers.", one Elder suddenly whispered, his voice filled with relief and expectation.

"That’s right! After today, we won’t have to worry about those beings potentially rioting after our death. We will leave a safe environment for the future human generations.", a female Elder on the side echoed his words.

But soon, disappointment and nostalgia flashed across her face. This grand achievement was accompanied by a bitter taste in their mouths.

"Unfortunately, the Human Emperor still has not shown up despite the Human Emperor Sword’s appearance. It seems..."

She didn’t finish her words.

Her words dampened the joyous mood in the hall.

However, everyone quickly recovered.

They had long accepted this to happen.

Even if they wished to search for the Human Emperor, they no longer had time to do so.

They were all... old.

It was only a matter of time before their lifespans ran out.

With their deaths being imminent and the Human Emperor nowhere to be seen, the only thing they could do was sacrifice themselves to deal with the future threats.

"Fortunately, those creatures arrived at the right time. Otherwise, gathering enough sacrifices to awaken the Human Emperor Sword would have been far more difficult."

"Those beings would do anything in their power to stop us.", the Elder who spoke up first added as the same faint smile appeared on the faces of his and the other Elders.

--

Meanwhile, in the outside world...

"Human Emperor!", a thunderous roar echoed from the collapsed mountain range.

As the dust settled, the voice’s owner appeared.

It was a giant bird.

With a wingspan stretching for several hundred meters and golden feathers running across its elegant body, one would think that it would look majestic as it soared into the sky.

Unfortunately, the giant gash on its abdomen and the large amount of blood pouring out made it impossible to care about its majestic appearance.

Even so, some people recognized it.

"The Golden Roc King!", an exclamation suddenly came out of Ysset’s mouth as her entire body began to tremble.

The instinct engraved in her bloodline made her horrified.

If it were not for Liora’s unconscious pressure suppressing her, she would have long taken the initiative to flee.

Liora knew why that was.

Golden Roc—a mythical bird with a long history in this world, spanning from its very creation.

It was said to be the ancestor of all bird demons.

More importantly, Golden Rocs had an infamous title: Killers of Dragons.

These mythical beasts feasted directly on the dragon race!

Though not stronger or higher in potential, their race characteristics made them the natural enemy of all dragons.

Facing a Rank 11 Golden Roc, it made sense for Ysset to be terrified.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to live in fear for long. Facing the shout of the Golden Roc King, no one answered, much less the Human Emperor.

Or rather, no living being responded.

The Human Emperor Sword, which had just struck out, however, took action once more.

Another swing that ignored time and space answered the Golden Roc King’s furious shout.

Then a second, and a third one.

By the time the last one arrived, the Golden Roc King’s roars had died down completely.

Its body had been neatly separated into countless tiny parts, which all smashed down onto the ground with a rain of blood.

The Human Emperor Sword appeared to feast on its dead flesh. Its aura only weakened for a brief moment before it regained its full momentum.

The death of a Rank 11 powerhouse in a matter of seconds was shocking.

For a time, silence shrouded the entire continent.

The ordinary people and weak Awakeners were fine. At most, they could not move due to the pressure.

The most shocked were the truly powerful beings who had witnessed the event unfold.

In particular, the creatures living in forbidden areas similar to the Golden Roc Mountains shivered in fear.

Unfortunately, they had no time to react.

The Human Emperor Sword slashed out.

This time toward the northern region. After a couple of strikes, another massive creature collapsed to the ground.

Then, the same thing happened to the southern region.

Both the Deep Sea Whale and the Ant Emperor—ancestors of the sea and insect demons, respectively—found their bodies being torn apart and their essence sucked away.

However, the Elders behind the changes were not as happy as they should have been.

The biggest hidden danger and the source of their plan, the Otherworld Demon, was nowhere to be seen.

With the Human Emperor Sword’s strength, even Rank 11 beings were easily located and slaughtered. Yet when it came to the other party, there was no trace of them.

"Could it be that the other party has left our world?", the lone female Elder suddenly spoke, but the man next to her shook his head.

"We can’t afford to bet on this. Perhaps they have a method to hide themselves. You should know the peculiarity of those Otherworld Demons better than I do."

"Their methods are endless."

As he spoke, the man’s expression grew serious.

"I propose to continue urging the Human Emperor Sword to locate them. The expenditure doesn’t matter. If we fail to find them, the results will be devastating."

"I have a hunch that our human race will suffer greatly in the future."

Silence shrouded the hall. However, it didn’t last for long.

An instant later, a person spoke up, followed by a second and a third one.

"I second the proposal!"

"I agree!"

"Me too!"

The Elders expressed their opinions one by one. In the end, they were all in favor of finding the Otherworld Demon.

As though resonating with their thoughts, the motionless Human Emperor Sword rioted again.

A weak consciousness emerged from inside and swept across the entire continent.