Words must not be spoken carelessly, and things must not be eaten at random. King Huayna Capac, who believed he had calculated everything and that the situation was fully under his control, violated both of these taboos.

Byron, having borrowed the Authority of the [Lord of Heaven] from the No. 1 Crystal Skull, had just issued a command to his own No. 13 Crystal Skull. The blue sun, which had already risen high into the mid-air, suddenly sank sharply downward. The scorching solar radiance on his body was also replaced by a chilling, bone-piercing cold wind. Amidst the intertwining of cold and heat, bubbles surged violently within him, and sparks POPPED and scattered everywhere.

The old King's soul, which was forcefully anchored between life and death under the protection of the Goddess of Suicide, suddenly felt a pulling force from beneath the ground. The source of this power was the Edge of the World and the collective subconscious—where souls belong. In other words, the Netherworld!

"Impossible! I acquired this Crystal Skull unintentionally after annihilating a Totemic God Tribe. If it wasn't for my title ability as a 'Civilisation Gatherer,' I wouldn't have even discovered its special properties. How can you control it?"

The old King could never have imagined that there was such a deep connection within it; the key prop in his plan was actually a poor relation from the north. Simultaneously, a flash of Divine Light within him caused the somewhat ethereal Crystal Skull to automatically leap out and joyously throw itself into Byron's embrace, unabashedly abandoning its former master.

For a human, after death, the soul's destination should be the collective subconscious sea. This is unless one transforms into Undead Creatures, an Evil Spirit, Nature Spirits, Totem Gods, or a Bizarre entity that combines with other lifeforms. If one dies at sea, there's a risk of being snatched by the Sea of Origin Matter, necessitating transport by a Ghost Ship. If one dies on land, they will be drawn to their respective tribal afterlife, involuntarily leaving the Material World. This is as unavoidable as the natural law that dictates apples fall to the ground rather than flying into the sky.

"Dust to dust, earth to earth, those who should depart, must not linger!"

CREAK—!

A sound of chains tightening rang out. Not only was the sun's upward momentum immediately halted, but it even began to teeter.

Now was the critical moment for King Huayna Capac to transcend death and achieve his Ascension to Godhood. A sudden opposing force almost claimed his life right then and there.

The immense gravitational pull of the blue sun was also significantly reduced. Byron, Violet, and August finally landed back on the ground. Teris, who was barely holding on with the support of the Blood Cup, also managed to catch her breath.

If it were just this, perhaps it would not have been enough to bring him down. The old King, now no longer a common Dead Soul after having begun his Ascension to Godhood and fueled by ample energy, still had a chance. But what was fatal was the move that pulled the rug out from under him. Without fuel, even the most intense flame is only hastening one's own demise.

"Sell it! Liquidate all stakes in the Divine Son, seventy percent of them!"

Suddenly, a chest of treasures dropped beside Byron, and two fishing hooks, one red and one gold, leapt out on their own. There is a rule in the food chain: toxins accumulate, and so do stakes.

This time, as much as seventy percent of the Descendants of the Sun God had been previously bribed, with many holding his investments internally. Especially since The Fourth Prince Atahualpa was consumed, allowing Byron's stake to increase significantly.

Clearly, that was not the real Atahualpa but a transformed member of Byron's own Kin, the Third Prince's Fourth Order guard. Ownership: one hundred percent. After he drank the fresh blood of Atahualpa served in the Blood Cup, he instantly and perfectly took Atahualpa's place, tasting utterly the same. The old King never realized that it wasn't his cherished son.

This was just a precaution Byron had arranged upon sensing something amiss, which unexpectedly played a significant role. Dare to bark in front of me? I'll forcibly acquire you!

Time was of the essence. Byron couldn't delay finding a lucky assistant, so he threw both hooks out in one breath.

TWANG—!

As the sounds of fishing lines tightening arose, the old King, his body ablaze with flames, gearing up to unleash a meteor fire rain to exterminate Byron and his party along with the problem, suddenly let out a sky-shattering scream:

"AAAAH—!"

An exceptionally ferocious and withered face emerged on the sun's surface. Its size drastically diminished, and the eerie bluish-white glow began to regress to golden.

Perhaps because the real Fourth Prince, Hand of Wealth, was in Byron's pocket, he also shared a trace of fortune's favor. This time, the lottery luck was quite good.

The red hook brought back a dazzling cluster of Blood of the Sun God, the main source of energy for the Son of the Sun. With this treasure, and the Secret Arcane Art Bloodline River, Byron could easily create another Fourth Order Son of the Sun. Even if he drank it himself, it would significantly enhance his powers as a Prince of Night Demons.

The golden hook retrieved a radiant ball of golden light. It was not a physical object but an ethereal concept that melded into Byron's body upon touch. The [Nautical Logbook] immediately displayed its information.

[The Sun King] (Incompletely Formed Rank):

This incompletely formed Rank of the former Sun Empire's King Huayna Capac is one of the most important components of his strength.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com