Astral Pet Store Chapter 1577: Prayer of the People (6)

"Boss, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you properly…" The Dark Dragon Hound wailed in sorrow, before it abruptly lunged toward the Ultimate Heavenly Dao the very next instant, bellowing furiously.

The Ultimate Heavenly Dao abruptly snapped open his eyes. He cast a frosty gaze at the swiftly nearing beast, then lifted a hand to shroud the Dark Dragon Hound along with the rest in his overwhelming force.

Sorcerer Ancestor Yin Que refused to hand over his Chaos Qualification to Su Ping. Thus, he swiftly grabbed the Golden Crow ancestor and Shi Mang to dodge the assault.

"It's finished. Damn it all!" Yin Que gnashed his teeth in frustration.

The Golden Crow ancestor, Shi Mang, and the remaining survivors stayed mute. Exhaustion in body and spirit left them unable to utter a word.

Su Ping's colossal form continued crumbling apart. Yet, its sheer immensity meant that even with light years disintegrating every second, full destruction would demand billions of years.

At that moment—an ethereal silhouette burst from Su Ping's head. It turned out to be the Mother of Chaos herself.

"Leave him be!" she declared, gazing upward at the mighty adversary.

The foe responded coldly, "You're pleading with me? Even the mightiest and eldest being in chaos can know despair and beg. Faced with true agony, you're no different from anyone else. This proves the world you made is flawed!"

"He's not dead?"

Yin Que felt stunned by the Mother of Chaos's plea.

The others, sunk deep in hopelessness, also shifted their gazes to the Heavenly Dao. Certain Undying State powerhouses sensed a spark to battle once more.

Noticing the reigniting hope in those he held, the Heavenly Dao's apathy deepened. "He dared assault my consciousness with his. I arose from the pleas of countless souls. Now, he endures their lives. When finished, he won't be himself. He'll become my second avatar, sharing my resolve to rebirth chaos alongside me!"

"No way! Boss would never turn into something like you!" the Dark Dragon Hound bellowed.

"Perish in damnation!"

A surge of energy exploded from the Ultimate Heavenly Dao's palm. The Dark Dragon Hound burst apart immediately, utterly erased.

"I've gathered prayers numbering the stars across billions of universes. When he comes back, you'll be mere specks of ash. Vanish!"

The Ultimate Heavenly Dao balled his fist; those from the cultivation sites and other universes endured crushing pressure.

Without Su Ping's shield any longer, they truly grasped the horror of confronting the Ultimate Heavenly Dao alone—his strength was utterly petrifying.

"Mere motes within my grasp…" The supreme entity regarded the captives in his hand devoid of any sentiment. The grand conflict would conclude in absolute triumph.

In his view, just the Mother of Chaos, Yin Que, and fellow Sorcerer Ancestors lingered as threats.

"Remain here and behold the dawn of a fresh, thriving chaos together with me!" proclaimed the Ultimate Heavenly Dao.

To his astonishment, Yin Que found himself encased in chaos power. Escape proved utterly impossible.

Not even he, the swiftest among ancestors, could flee. This time, he had plunged too far; prior clashes always allowed retreat.

"Seems we'll meet our end right here," Yin Que remarked with a wry grin.

The Golden Crow ancestor's gaze dimmed with gloom. "We birthed him unwittingly, all of us together. Never did I imagine we'd spawn such a monstrosity."

"Our doing entirely. Endless slaughters and calamities arose from our infighting," ancestor Hao Tian sighed deeply.

Facing death's door, regrets over past errors flooded them.

Sorcerer Ancestors' hubris had trickled to mythical beings, then clans, birthing that catastrophic finale.

"Don't surrender yet. Perhaps we can clash again upon his return," Shi Mang suggested.

Hei Xiang shook his head. "Even returned, he'd merely be another Heavenly Dao. I once devoured a Chaos Heaven and sensed the people's prayers within—it nearly broke me. Those prayers would fold us into the Heavenly Dao too.

"Moreover, the Heavenly Dao wouldn't exist as he does without heeding those pleas."

Yin Que paused briefly, then let out a heavy breath. He knew Hei Xiang spoke truth.

The subdued Sorcerer Ancestors had yielded only after tasting the people's prayers. Even Kun Peng, dispatched as a spy to the Ultimate Heavenly Dao, couldn't withstand that force.

"It's truly ended!"

The Sorcerer Ancestors shared desolate looks.

High above.

The Mother of Chaos ignored the Ultimate Heavenly Dao. She pivoted to fixate on Su Ping's gigantic, disintegrating frame.

Sorrow filled her eyes. She realized Su Ping had braved the Chaos Core's depths solely to reclaim it for her.

She had once assured Su Ping that all things could be honed.

Evidently, Su Ping aimed to temper the Chaos Core.

Yet, that feat's challenge dwarfed all else.

Suddenly, she wondered if venturing there was a mistake. Perhaps she shouldn't have waged this war. Instead, she could have lingered with Su Ping, tending customers at their planetary store.

Those days struck her as mundane and routine back then.

Now, she yearned for that simplicity above all.

Against such tedium, the present horrors eclipsed infernal torments.

Only remnants of folks and elite warriors persisted. Her presence would fade from that domain forevermore.

Maybe… such an outcome isn't so terrible.

A thought struck her: should Su Ping morph into the Heavenly Dao's second clone, he'd endure in a sense.

Even should he embrace its ideals fully and oppose her.

Much like the Chaos Core.

Still, he'd retain memory of her. Even if affection soured to hatred post-transformation, that sufficed.

Far preferable to oblivion…

With that realization, the Mother of Chaos donned a nonchalant smile, though tears glistened in her eyes.

The sight left Yin Que and others gaping in shock. The Mother could weep? Such was the mark of creatures gripped by deepest emotion.

Emotions themselves were her invention.

Yet she fell prey to them?

"I have accepted your prayer."

Mockery and scorn tinged the Ultimate Heavenly Dao's voice. "Worthy of chaos's supreme being—your prayer dwarfs all others in potency!"

Her tears vanished. She didn't turn, as if dismissing his words entirely. She simply watched Su Ping's form relentlessly unravel.

She preferred not to waste her final moments elsewhere.

Chaos held no time; their existences stretched eternally. They loomed like timeless stones or effigies, lost in contemplation.

Yet within the Chaos Core, where prayers amassed, time undeniably marched on.

Trillions of years elapsed.

Surpassing the age of most primordial grand universes.

In that vast expanse, one figure persisted, writhing amid torment.

He became worm, savage, deity, mortal, flora—every frail lifeform imaginable, enduring the mundane agonies of existence.

Worlds brimmed with miseries; a single species' woes numbered beyond count.

Moreover, he embodied myriad roles across billions of races, each laden with unique afflictions.

After eons beyond measure, the soul, scarred by infinite rebirths of suffering, at last mastered the people's prayer and reemerged into the Chaos Core.

…