Eldritch Horror Theatre

Did the dragon and the phoenix really just turn to shit?

The Soul Butterfly at his fingertips was vivid and lively, but Fu Qian felt zero excitement over being able to sell it for a good price.

After all, based on what he already knew, this thing’s core significance—aside from its medicinal value—was that it shared the exact shape of the Dragon King’s scales.

Or, more accurately, the Dragon King’s fake scales.

So not only did this place have the flowers favored by the First Generation Dark Moon, but now that the Phoenix was gone, butterflies with deep ties to the Dragon King’s scales had also appeared?

Combining this with what he saw in the Abandoned Prison last time and his speculations about the Night of Regicide, had the severely crippled Dragon King actually holed up here in the end?

This was undoubtedly a major discovery.

Furthermore, both the flowers and the butterflies before him easily brought to mind the architecture soaked in corrupted flesh and blood back at Liliana’s Hideout.

It seemed this really wasn’t an isolated case. The entire Deity Burial Ground appeared to have been affected, with the phenomenon of joint burials occurring everywhere.

Another detail supporting this judgment was that the Doomsday Ditty from earlier could also be heard here.In short, the question now was: if the Dragon King was here—then where exactly was the Dragon King?

Looking around, there were no visible signs of it at all.

Even with the King of the Abandoned Prison—who had once angered it—paying a personal visit, it showed absolutely no temper or reaction.

...

Had excellency Dragon King completely rotted away in here, losing the ability to maintain its former appearance long ago?

To be honest, that was indeed a fairly conventional explanation.

After all, various myths and legends featured stories of blood, bones, skin, and hair turning into mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas.

However, comparing this with some of its previous behavior, there still seemed to be a few contradictions.

For example, the roar it let out last time had been full of imposing momentum. Even if its emotional state hadn’t been great, it didn’t feel like it had completely rotted away.

Or, for instance, during the Battle of Dragon Peak, excellency Dragon King not only had the idea of developing new Covenanters, but was even plotting to purge traitors.

No matter what form it took now, the Dragon King always seemed to maintain some level of subjective initiative.

Could it be that it had also encountered some accident recently?

Not just excellency Father’s Amnion, but the Night Watchers had gone all out this time, decisively finishing off even a critically injured character like this one?

Could this even be the reason why the entire Deity Burial Ground now featured a unified background music?

If that was really the case, then his work of stirring up the situation seemed to have been a little too effective.

Sighing softly, Fu Qian didn’t arrogantly take credit for it, nor did he feel any immature joy.

Spreading his fingers, he let the single-winged butterfly fly away.

It came back to the question he had discussed before: what was the core reliance that allowed higher entities to return time and time again?

After all, it was hard to imagine the Night Watchers being able to kill the Dragon King completely.

No matter how you looked at it, the group in the Deity Burial Ground didn’t seem to have much resistance, yet the Night Watchers were clearly very wary of them.

If there really was such a once-and-for-all solution, he couldn’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t have used it before.

All in all, if the Night Watchers had really made a move against the Dragon King, it truly wasn’t a good thing for him.

Not only would he be unable to catch up with the Dragon King, but if that fellow rested and recuperated, it might become active again someday—unfortunately, it really looked like they had made their move.

Clearly affected by its previous encounter, the released Soul Butterfly abandoned the idea of gathering nectar and wobbled off into the distance.

Fu Qian followed silently the entire way, and at a certain moment, he successfully discovered another bizarre sight.

...

The Dragon King wasn’t a dragon; the scales on its body were merely a gorgeous garment it had woven for itself.

So if the Dragon King died, what would become of this gorgeous garment?

Fu Qian felt that the answer seemed to be right before his eyes.

The newly freed Soul Butterfly had already flown further away, but Fu Qian didn’t continue chasing it. Instead, he bent down and once again picked up something else from the bloodstains.

Translucent and featuring extremely sharp lines, it was a nearly weightless piece that still seemed to be struggling the moment it fell into his hand.

That’s right, it was another Soul Butterfly.

Before being rescued, just like the rotting Phoenix Feather, it had been soaked and entangled by the surging bloody filth.

The comparative upside was perhaps that it looked more energetic. The corruption had merely stayed on the surface and failed to penetrate deeply.

In plain terms, it looked as if it had just fallen in.

As for the one he saw earlier, it seemed to be one of the luckier ones that had managed to struggle out on its own.

Indeed, this one he had plucked out was not an isolated case.

Casually releasing the second Soul Butterfly as well, Fu Qian looked up and surveyed his surroundings.

In this seemingly calm area, there was astonishingly a massive swath of butterflies that had fallen into the water, resembling a giant hatchery.

And the two that had been released one after another had already joined the flock dancing in mid-air.

He could only say that, combining this with the Phoenix he had seen before, this scene didn’t seem too hard to understand—

The Dragon King had also died here. The only fake thing on its body had become its sole relic, slowly being swallowed by corruption.

Even in the trails of the Soul Butterflies dancing over The Lake, the outline of a giant dragon’s wings could faintly be seen.

...

Did the Night Watchers really deal a murderous blow?

Certain feelings of déjà vu were simply too strong, making one inevitably think of the question mentioned earlier.

Was it really because the Night Watchers were conducting a great purge that the turmoil within the Deity Burial Ground was caused?

And the Dragon King, who had been barely holding on to begin with, had been directly annihilated skin and bone this time, leaving only its stripped-off clothes?

In addition, it had to be said that the shape formed by the dancing Soul Butterflies even shared a trace of spiritual resonance with the phantom of the Dragon King he had seen on the Golden Throne.

For instance, the true body couldn’t be seen; the outline was merely faintly dotted by the scales on its surface.

Furthermore, right around here, those scarlet flowers could also be seen.

So, was he really a step too late after all?

...

Excellency Dragon King held on for so long, but failed to wait for an old friend in the end?

This probable situation undoubtedly sounded lamentable.

Under such regrettable circumstances, it didn’t even seem appropriate for him to offer a slight tribute.

In just this short amount of time, Fu Qian noted that he had already seen the swimming figures of more than one nematode.

Perhaps guided by their scavenging nature, their density in this place was noticeably much higher.

Along with that special breed suspected to be detectors, their numbers should also be more concentrated.

Theoretically, to avoid making the Night Watchers toil again, he should get far away as quickly as possible—but that was only a ”should.”

At that moment, Fu Qian sneered.

A real man knows there are things to do and things not to do. An old friend’s bones were not yet cold. Even if this was a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den, even if there was no longer a chance to talk all night, don’t even think about making this seat step back half an inch.

With a light leap, Fu Qian’s body landed on a protrusion that wasn’t too high.

Overlooking the scene of this tragedy, he once again unfastened the Eldest Son’s Vision and put it on his face.

Dragon King, do not go! Abandoned Prison has arrived late!