Void Beetle Evolution Guide

Standing before the gates of the imperial tomb, gazing at the massive doors, Kai'Sa was captivated by the reliefs depicting beast-headed heroes waging war against the evil creatures of the underworld, and felt a surge of adrenaline for no apparent reason.

The relief features Aatrox, a winged figure with a towering posture, wielding a greatsword as he charges into the front lines, slicing the hideous monsters in two. Another Ascended, wielding a giant scythe, is equally formidable, turning the surrounding monsters into blood-splattered remains under his attacks. Horlock, who fearlessly leaps into the rift, infected by the Void energy, chooses to kill as many enemies as possible before his death, equipping his arm blades and fighting a desperate battle against the swarm of insects.

“This mural can be considered another painting of a thousand gods.” Varus stepped forward and stroked the dusty relief, his fingers covered with a thick layer of dust, a mark left by a thousand years of time.

His figure was also among them, though not as eye-catching as the others, but the stonemasons did not overlook him.

"Why can't we see Nasus and Renekton up there?" Kai'Sa asked.

"Shurima cannot send all the Ascended. Grand Maester Nasus and General Renekton are of high rank and need to guard the rear, so it is impossible to send them. However, the Ascended who have come to participate in the war still account for more than half of the total."

“I see.” Kasha nodded.

To be honest, she had a fairly good impression of the Ascended.

The release of the Void by Icathia was a mistake by the Shurima leadership, and had little to do with the beast-headed celestials. If it weren't for their intervention, the world might have been destroyed long ago.

Even if they later degenerated into cruel and bloodthirsty Darkin, it was due to the aftereffects of war. It is said that merits and demerits cannot offset each other, but this does not negate their contributions as Ascended beings during their lifetimes.

"This imperial tomb appears to have been built at the end of the dynasty." Wild Hunt looked thoughtfully at the reliefs on the wall, realizing that the tomb was not as ancient as he had imagined.

"How did you figure that out?" Kasha asked curiously.

"The Void War took place five hundred years before the dynasty's collapse. The images of the Void War appearing on the wall mean that this tomb was built during those last five hundred years, which is at most three thousand years old... I thought it was at least five thousand years old."

“That’s old enough.” For Kai’Sa, anything over a hundred years old is a genuine antique. As for Lissandra, who is eight thousand years old, she is practically a living fossil to her.

Kasha continued to examine the tomb entrance, and suddenly noticed that the Celestial Warrior in the center of the image had a concave weapon in his hand, and the shape of the concavity corresponded exactly to that of Charikar.

"That must be Setaka," Kai'Sa murmured to herself. The female celestial holding Charikar had almost no obvious animal features, only some feline qualities, and her posture was very agile.

Just then, the dust on the murals seemed to be shaken and slowly fell away, and a frenzied roar could be faintly heard from inside the tomb, screaming a name that was as loud as thunder.

"Nasus, why haven't you come to me yet? I'm going to kill you—"

A deathly silence fell over them. Naganeka and Varus exchanged glances and whispered the name of the Mad God, "It's Renekton's voice."

“Renkerton?” Sivir was stunned.

"Yes, Renekton. It was his own brother Renekton who said he wanted to kill Nasus."

Sivir's expression was strange. As a Shuriman, it was hard for them not to know the legend of Nasus and Renekton's brotherly love, but what they were seeing and hearing at this moment completely overturned their imagination.

The younger brother who was willing to sacrifice himself to keep his brother alive could express his hatred for his brother in such a hoarse tone. What exactly did he encounter in the tomb?

"Why is he in there?" Even Kai'Sa muttered to herself, because Wild Hunt hadn't told her that Azir wasn't the only one in the Imperial Tomb.

"In fact, it was Nasus himself who locked Renekton in the Imperial Tomb." Naga Neka told Sivir about that unknown story, since the latter was not a real sacrifice, or rather, he wanted to die knowing why.

"You may have heard of Xerath, that little slave from Nerimarch who was Azir's most trusted confidant, helping him stand out from the other princes and eventually become emperor amidst great anticipation. However, Xerath's help was for a purpose. This usurper spent decades plotting to steal the power of ascension. He implanted his vision of an empire that would unify the world into Azir's mind, causing the emperor to insist on ascension despite the opposition of the Sun Priests, in order to gain a long lifespan and carry out his grand plan."

Naga Siren sighed sadly, "Azir was indeed a wise ruler, but a long lifespan and immense power can change a person's mind, such as the transformation from an Ascended to a Darkin. Azir broke this precedent, and Xerath, as his most trusted slave, was given the only opportunity in his life to stand on the Sun Disc... Allowing slaves to approach the Sun Disc was the most terrible disaster in Shurima's history; it directly destroyed the entire Dawn Oasis."

"On the day of his ascension, neither Nasus nor Renekton attended, because Xerath had arranged for them to be sent away beforehand. He weakened the seal on a magical sarcophagus, turning the fire spirit beast sealed inside into a time bomb. When it finally broke free, only Renekton and Nasus were capable of defeating it. In this way, Azir lost his only two protectors."

"The priests summoned celestial energy to earth through the Sun Disc, and it was at this moment that Xerath revealed his wolfish ambitions. He pushed Azir off the altar, watched the latter burn to ashes, and took Azir's place himself. However, the energy of this ritual did not belong to him, and his betrayal had disastrous consequences. The power of the sun razed the entire city to the ground, and the vast Oasis of Dawn vanished in a single day."

"When Nasus and Renekton returned, they were met with a completely transformed Xerath. Solar energy and dark magic had fused within him, transforming him into a powerful energy being. The two brothers were no match for him, only managing to drag him to the Imperial Tomb. Renekton seized Xerath and slammed him into the tomb, instructing Nasus to seal the secret chamber door. Nasus did so with a heavy heart, for it was the only way to prevent Xerath's escape. From then on, Nasus suffered immense inner torment, walking alone across the desert sands, detached from worldly affairs, never interacting with us even as the Darkin War raged on."

Chapter 410 Opening the Tomb Gate

"One betrayal destroyed the decades-long bond between master and servant; it also destroyed a pair of brothers who would be remembered for generations; and it destroyed a powerful empire at its zenith."

Naga Neka sighed, “Xerath’s crimes cannot be fully described even in three days and three nights. In fact, after the events, the angry gods stormed into Narimar and massacred the city. They killed every mortal, and the magical wrath burned the sand into glass, simply because that city was the birthplace of the usurper. Afterward, that dead city became the place where the Darkin negotiated, and Ragnarok was held in the open-air theater in those ruins. I still remember it clearly.”

Kasha listened intently; the history told by those involved was indeed more vivid than what the Wild Hunt recounted. However, she keenly noticed a problem with it.

"You only explained why Renekton was imprisoned in the Imperial Tomb, but you didn't explain why Renekton harbored murderous intent towards Nasus. It was clearly him who sacrificed himself to ask Nasus to imprison him."

Naganekia frowned: "The only one who could cause such a change in Renekton is Xerath, who was imprisoned with him. Xerath was already very powerful when he was still a mortal. Without his dark magic, Azir could never have become emperor. Combined with the divine gifts of the Ascended—it's hard to imagine what Renekton went through in the tomb."

"So, if we open the tomb now, we'll release the powerful usurper and a mad god along with him?" Kasha rested her chin on her hand, pacing back and forth in front of the tomb entrance.

"What? You don't know? Haven't you thought about how to deal with them yet?" Naga Neka suddenly blocked Kai'Sa's path.

Seeing Kasha's confident demeanor, she assumed the latter had also considered those two, but now she was being told that they were completely outside the plan.

"If you can't handle it, why don't you just leave the door open?" Sivir suddenly interjected.

She listened to the group babbling on and on about resurrecting the emperor and acts of betrayal... From this, she gleaned the information that something beyond their control was imprisoned behind the tomb door. So, she fanned the flames and persuaded them to abandon their plan to open the door. If they succeeded, she could avoid becoming a sacrifice.

Kai'Sa didn't agree. She just glanced at her and continued speaking to the Darkin: "Resurrecting Azir is a last resort. No matter what changes the addition of those two will bring, I have to take this step."

Naganek's expression turned serious than ever before: "I must warn you, don't think that Azir can definitely suppress the Darkin. We can accept death, but we cannot accept betrayal. The hatred Zoranny holds for us is unforgivable, she must die no matter what, not even if the Emperor comes."

Kai'Sa shook her head at this: "The fact that you two came here with me instead of killing us to stop me from resurrecting Azir already shows how much he means to you. In the hearts of you Darkin, there is still a desire to continue the glory of Shurima. Perhaps this cannot stop the war between Aatrox and Zoranny, but it can make Aatrox give up the idea of ​​leading the Darkin to destroy the world."

“Well, you’re not wrong. As long as Azir doesn’t remain neutral and doesn’t foolishly side with Zoranny, he can regain our support… But before that, you need to figure out how to withstand the wrath of the Mad God.”

"If we can't afford to mess with them, can't we just hide? Let the sacrificial offering open the door, and we'll observe from the shadows," Kasha casually suggested.

Although this method sounded dubious, the Wild Hunt told her that in the original timeline, Cassiopeia and Sivir, who were responsible for opening the door, successfully avoided the Mad Celestials. (The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

Xerath, now free, rushed out of the dark tomb without even noticing Sivir lying in a pool of blood.

Renekton, however, was focused on killing Nasus and searched for him throughout the desert, completely ignoring Sivir's fate.

Sivir was thus abandoned at the doorway until the resurrected Azir found her and carried her to the sacred pond to heal her.

The series of events deeply shocked Sivir. She could have enjoyed a life of luxury with Azir, but instead, she chose to pack her bags and travel.

Xerath later discovered that Sivir had resurrected Azir and began hunting her down across the world. He was rescued by Nasus and Taliyah, and the matter came to an end there.

This time, Kai'Sa doesn't know if fate will repeat itself, but she just needs to prepare for the worst.

If Xerath discovers them, then war will ensue.

The opponents were two crazed celestials, but they weren't without options. Besides the two Darkin, there were also two dragons who had come with her; this was enough to hold out until Azir was resurrected.

Naga Neka fell into deep thought after hearing Kaisa's words, and it took her a long time to make up her mind.

"At this point, we can only take it one step at a time. If you deceived us, Azir not only failed to resurrect but also released Xerath... the entire Darkin will hunt you down to the ends of the earth, and even Nasus won't let you go!"

Naga Neka threatened sharply, but Kai'Sa's eyes, hidden behind her mask, remained unwavering.

She always believed in the Wild Hunt's decisions, and if fate did not repeat itself, she would regard all the Ascended and Darkin as enemies and bear it all alone.

Seeing that the two sides ultimately failed to start arguing, Sylvie was greatly disappointed; her chance to escape still hadn't come.

She did consider escaping along the way, but Saifei kept a close eye on her, preventing her from making any rash moves.

Even when she tried to leave the public eye under the pretext of needing to use the restroom, Naganeka could always find her an antique chamber pot.

The final moment arrived. Naganekal threw Charikar between Sivir and Cassiopeia and then gave them her orders.

“Once we leave this area, you two go forward and use Charikar to open the tomb gate. Don’t even think about escaping; we’ll be guarding the path to the exit.”

Watching the group retreat and leave the tomb, Sivir turned her gaze to Cassiopeia beside her and asked, "They're using us as sacrifices to feed the Mad God. Are you willing to die like this?"

“Of course not.” Cassiopeia shook her head firmly.

“Alright, after the door opens, we’ll go into the tomb together. Only by informing Xerath and Renekton that they’re lying in ambush outside, and making them fight each other so they can’t focus on anything else, can we possibly escape in the chaos.”

Cassiopeia pretended to think for a moment, then finally accepted Sivir's suggestion and nodded, "Let's do it that way."

Sivir's face lit up with joy, and she encouraged them, "This is our mortal rebellion! Those rotten gods shouldn't underestimate us!"

She rallied her spirits, grasped Charikar in her hand, and walked resolutely toward the gates of the imperial tomb, her eyes burning with hope.

The situation took an unexpected turn; before Sivir could take two steps, she felt a piercing pain.

She looked down in astonishment and saw a tail, resembling a spine, emerging from her chest.

“You—” Sivir turned her head with disbelief and difficulty, only to see Cassiopeia behind her with a triumphant and wicked smile, her sharp spine tail coiling and moving around her arm as nimbly as if it were part of her body.

"I'm sorry, Sivir. This is the correct way to open the Imperial Tomb."

On

Chapter 411 Opening the Gate

Sivir couldn't understand why Cassiopeia would betray her at this time.

It's not like killing yourself will allow you to keep all the treasures for yourself. We're all just unlucky souls who were used as sacrifices by the Darkin to open the gates. If there's no conflict of interest, why hurt each other?

She may never understand that this was all just a show staged to awaken the ancient emperor.

She had to sacrifice her imperial bloodline and enter a life-threatening state, no matter what.

Only by giving Azir a chance to be saved can he continue to complete the ascension ritual.

Cassiopeia wouldn't tell Sivir the truth either, even though she thought it would be interesting, but it would affect her master's plans, so it was best not to act on her own.

Under Cassiopeia's control, the sharp spine pierced through Sivir's chest, circled around, and then wrapped around Cassiopeia's arm.

Losing his support, Sivir collapsed in excruciating pain, his blood soaking into the sand beneath him, turning into dark red clumps.

She was powerless to stop Cassiopeia from taking Charikar from her; the heavy ancient weapon was not something just anyone could lift. Cassiopeia, however, could manipulate her spine as an exoskeleton to enhance her arm strength, easily lifting it with one hand.

Cassiopeia arrived at the tomb entrance and placed Charikar into the cross-shaped notch in the Setaka relief's hand, making a perfect fit.

Rumbling--

As the cat's eyes on the relief shone with golden light, the heavy tomb doors, with the sound of grinding stones, slowly opened to both sides after a thousand years.

Suddenly, the python statue on the door came to life, its fangs gleaming with an eerie light, and it lunged at Cassiopeia.

Cassiopeia wore an expression of expectation. She did not flinch, her hand still resting on Charikar, but under her control, her tail moved forward and precisely locked onto the python's mouth, preventing it from biting down.

She then took out a small jade bottle she had prepared beforehand and placed it under the fang to catch the dripping venom. Her hands remained perfectly still as she performed this dangerous act, as if she had rehearsed this scene countless times in her mind.

Sivir was dumbfounded. Cassiopeia had been as steady as a rock when she walked through the laser trap before. Did this person not feel fear?

She then realized that her employer was far more mysterious than she had imagined, but it was too late.

The python injected a large amount of venom into the bottle, then lost all its strength, turned into a stone statue again, fell to the ground, and shattered into several pieces.

Cassiopeia held the bottle up to her eyes, carefully examining her haul.

The venom glowed with an eerie light, its power enough to transform Cassiopeia into a hideous half-snake monster. She sacrificed her beauty for power and magic, amplifying her mortal strength by several dimensions.

"Roar!" The tomb door was fully opened, and a series of chilling roars came from inside the tomb.

Cassiopeia frowned, put away the venom bottle, and took a few steps back behind the guardian statue.

The side effects of this stuff are too severe. She wouldn't have dared to use it easily in the past, and now that she's a member of the Wild Hunt's kin, she doesn't even need to consider it anymore.

Saving it is simply because I don't want to waste it; it can be used for emergencies, or at worst, as a keepsake.

She hid in the corner, her gaze fixed on Sivir lying in a pool of blood.

The bloodstains on the ground showed drag marks, indicating that Sivir had tried to struggle to escape, but the rapid blood loss made her body gradually unresponsive, and she was unable to crawl more than a few meters.

After giving Sivir a wicked smile, Cassiopeia ignored her life or death, leaving her lying in front of the tomb gate like bait exuding a strong smell of blood.

"A thousand years later, I am finally free!"

A gust of wind blew out from the depths of the long-dormant tomb, carrying in the distance a mad, vicious laugh that found its greatest pleasure in tormenting others.

Cassiopeia sensed the presence of ancient magic, and a metallic taste filled her mouth. All her senses sharpened, and she focused intently to prepare for the impending situation.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the darkness, and a tall, robust silhouette, like an iron tower, gradually emerged from the inner door.

He had a crocodile-like snout, with rows of sharp, knife-like teeth, from which blood dripped like red ribbons, and his exhaled breath stirred up the floating dust. His jaundiced eyes burned with crimson hatred, his ochre-green skin was crisscrossed with wrinkles, and a thick tail thrashed violently behind him. His armor was mottled, the hardened dirt covering the dull gold and rusted bronze.

“You’ve abandoned me in the darkness, brother,” he muttered, his voice dry and hoarse, his throat raw from millennia of screaming. “Once, the sun forged me. Now, darkness is my ally. Are you ready to bear the rage that has imprisoned you for millennia?”

Renekton emerged hunched over, showing no joy at regaining his freedom. His eyes, still adjusting to the light, scanned the area, assuming Nasus had released him. But all he saw was Sivir lying in a pool of blood at the doorway.

The behemoth lowered its head above Sivir's head, its crocodile-like sniffing for the scent of raw meat.

His approach stirred a surge of power deep within Sivir. At such close range, she could even smell the blood between the god's gums, and she thought he was about to devour her alive.

“Azir’s vanguard… Renekton…” Sivir looked up, having nowhere to hide, and simply looked at the crocodile-like god.

She had seen the creature's murals on the walls of the Sandy Temple and heard people whispering his name throughout the oasis.

The blind Makoru, a wandering man of truth who claims to be able to communicate with the spirits of his ancestors, once recounted the deeds of this deity, warning people how dangerous uncontrolled aggression and plunder can be.

The behemoth heard his name called. He stared intently at Sivir, then drew a crescent-shaped axe from behind him—a weapon powerful enough to slice a Skarash in two.

This weapon also has a story. When Renekton led the Shurima army to breach the walls of Icathia, he seized a long-handled battle axe from the king's corpse, broke off the handle, and used the axe blade to defeat the rebels, thus beginning his eight-hundred-year reign.

It can be said that this crescent-shaped axe represents both Renekton's illustrious achievements and Icathia's shame.

"Where is he?" the god asked.

His divine might was overwhelming, like a towering mountain pressing down, but Sivir did not bow her head. Mei, have you thought about Lin Yongkong, have you thought about Lin Zaizai...?