Chapter 606 — Being of Past Era & True Elaouthr

"How should I call you? I’m afraid that Elaouthr is not entirely accurate..."

Her voice spread within the trial hall.

It was the sole sound in the entire room as not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Everyone was dead.

The demons had died in the hands of Elaouthr’s frenzied state, while the two Emperors had succumbed under the pair’s combined attacks.

Aside from Liora, the only other being in the room was the bundle of demon energy in front of her—Elaouthr.

Yet, the look in his eyes and the aura he exuded, not very powerful but quite majestic, was proof that this was not the same person whom Liora had conversed with in the past.

It was not that he had shed his disguise to reveal his true colors.

Rather, it was as though he had unknowingly been replaced by another being.

Silence shrouded the hall following Liora’s question.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, their gazes locked through the air.

Just as it seemed that "Elaouthr" had chosen to remain silent, a low chuckle rang.

"It seems... It seems that something interesting has happened to this body while I was asleep."

"Who are you? Did you notice my state and come into contact with my vessel?", "Elaouthr" opened his mouth and questioned.

His voice was now far more majestic than in the past, as he slowly raised his head and looked straight into Liora’s eyes.

His gaze grew deeper and more profound.

He seemed able to see through her external disguise, catching a glimpse of her true nature.

"A human? No... Another race... Are you an outsider? Or perhaps a person of another Era?"

"Elaouthr" shook his head.

Faint nostalgia flashed across his eyes as he mentioned the last word. The scene of a civilization crumbling abruptly before his eyes seemed to surface in his mind subconsciously.

Such an expression, combined with the few words he had uttered, allowed Liora to collect a lot of information in an instant.

With her own previous guesses and knowledge, she quickly reached a certain conclusion.

"Are you a person of a past Era?", she asked back, as her gaze studied the being occupying Elaouthr’s body.

She could sense that this was the wrong way to describe it.

Rather than say that Elaouthr had been replaced, it would be more accurate to say that he had never existed at all.

From the very beginning, Elaouthr had been a mere part of this unknown being’s consciousness, whose memories had been erased, allowing it to develop into a new individual.

"Since you know that term, it seems that my guess is correct. Are you also a person from the past Eras?"

A trace of doubt flashed in "Elaouthr’s" eyes.

"I don’t recognize your aura. You didn’t belong to my Era, nor to the cultivation one. Could it be that you are a person before that?", he muttered in a low voice.

However, he didn’t wait for Liora to answer.

Instead, he shook his head and chuckled. He seemed to know that he would receive no answer, whether this was the truth or not.

"It ultimately doesn’t matter. Our Eras are a thing of the past. In the present, we are merely stowaways, clinging to a small light of hope for rebirth.", he whispered as he raised his head and looked at the palace around him.

He had inherited Elaouthr’s memories. As such, he understood what was happening very well.

"It’s past our time..."

These words sounded inexplicable.

However, they confirmed Liora’s earlier guesses.

Clearly, the cultivation civilization was not the only one besides that of the Cosmic Universe.

Before that, there had been several Eras and unique civilizations.

"Judging from this person’s tone, he must have belonged to the Era before the cultivation civilization."

This was quite shocking. Although Liora did not know how an Era would "end", she had witnessed its result.

The soul of the Heavenly Armor Pavilion, a cultivator equivalent to an Ancient Devil, had only managed to survive as a mere remnant soul.

For the being in front of her to survive not one, but two Eras, it showed that he either possessed unfathomable power or had unknown means.

Countless thoughts raced through Liora’s mind.

But on the surface, she showed little change.

She maintained an unreadable expression and looked toward her opponent, as though she was sizing up an equal of hers.

She quickly discovered some clues.

"Your current state is quite peculiar. You can’t exist for a long time. Soon, you’ll have to return to your slumber, and the split consciousness will wake up."

"Is this the price you paid to survive until this Era?", she questioned.

"Elaouthr" did not try to deny this.

"You should understand how difficult surviving in another Era is for us."

"’Its’ suppression toward non-Era creatures is extremely powerful. If I act in my true form, I’m afraid it will not take long before I perish."

Saying this, a trace of curiosity flashed across his face.

"What interests me instead is your state. Although you are quite weak at the moment, merely at the Rank 11 of the present Era, you are able to take action freely, remaining conscious at all times."

"Is this the method of your time?"

Liora noticed a trace of apprehension flickering within "Elaouthr’s" eyes.

Clearly, beings like them, who had survived the Era’s destruction, did not measure strength solely on their destructive power.

The degree to which they could take action and what cost they would pay was as important, if not even more.

Liora neither denied nor accepted his "accusations".

She shook her head, choosing to remain silent as he had done before.

Then, she changed the topic of the conversation.

"There’s no need to waste any more time. Since you’ve decided to communicate with me, you must have something to ask."

"After all, with every passing second, you consume more and more of your accumulated power. Once you go back to sleep, the time it will take to wake up again will be significantly longer."

Liora’s words seemed to point straight to "Elaouthr’s" heart.

However, he wasn’t very surprised.

Every being who managed to survive an Era, let alone multiple ones, was unfathomable. Someone like Liora, with a mysterious background and abilities, was even more so.

It was not anything strange to discover his situation.

As such, "Elaouthr" merely nodded his head.

Then, he took a look at the trial hall around him before waving his hand. A barrier was instantly erected around them, erasing their traces in the outside world.

Only a voice lingered.

"I wish to make a deal with you. You must be quite interested in my civilization’s methods and techniques. I’m willing to use them to trade with you."

"All I ask is..."