Void Beetle Evolution Guide

Azir turned around, and a force lifted him into the air.

He saw countless puppet armies pour into his city, occupy the streets, and trample everything in their path.

An uncontrollable rage grew within Azir, and as he opened his arms, the entire Oasis of Dawn responded to his call. The golden disc above shone with divine sunlight, crowning the capital city.

An elite army of soldiers belonging to him rose from the base of the ascension staircase, wearing armor similar in style to their master, but all made of yellow sand.

Yellow sand poured out of their armor, carrying with them the stench of decay from deep underground, raising dry dust like bones and rags revealed by the wind as it swept across the dunes.

The sand soldiers, lined up like city walls, advanced side by side, spears in hand. Their steps were perfectly synchronized as they descended the slope onto the Emperor's Road, each step carrying a chilling, menacing air.

Azir is ready to fight.

……

Nestled within a magnificent windbreak dam and a moat powerful enough to nourish the entire desert continent, Dawn Oasis is actually a mountain city, high in the center and low on all sides, with an intricate and complex internal layout.

As Xerath drifted along the terrain toward the city center, a blinding golden light caught his attention.

He stopped and watched the golden light rise from the city center, rising higher and higher, surpassing his own horizon, and finally stopping before the towering sun disk.

The golden light faded, revealing a humanoid figure. It was not human, but a being far more powerful than humans, transformed by pure solar magic into a supreme being.

Such a life form is itself awe-inspiring; no language can accurately depict the true power and magnificence of this ascended emperor.

Xerath saw Azir in the golden light, and Azir saw Xerath in return. Xerath's eyes shone with a cold, piercing light, and flames surged from his tail, constantly spreading out like fireflies. Azir's eyes burned with a pale light like the rising sun, and mysterious energy surged like waves.

Although both of them had changed their appearances and were no longer recognizable, they still recognized each other at a glance.

Their gazes were instantly drawn together like the two poles of a magnet, and a wonderful chemical reaction occurred, brewing an extremely complex emotion in each other's hearts.

Hatred, disappointment, grief... Their relationship is not simply one of betrayal and being betrayed. They were once as close as brothers, but now they hate each other to the core.

“Xerath!” Azir’s voice was angry and hoarse. “Your sins are unforgivable.”

He stood high above, like absolute imperial power, his word was law, and he held the power of life and death. That disdainful gaze immediately reminded Xerath of his past as a slave. A member of the royal family was forbidden from associating with slaves, so their friendship had never been equal, no matter how much effort he had put in or what changes he had made to help Azir ascend the throne.

That day, all he wanted was for the thing Azir had promised him as a child, but Azir, with a ferocious expression, reminded Xerath of his place as a slave. It was also on that day that the last vestige of nobility in Xerath's heart was completely extinguished.

Azir did fulfill his promise, but it came decades too late.

Chapter 426 Unworthy of Ascension

“Useless Emperor Azir, my biggest miscalculation was letting you live, but it doesn’t matter. Reality will only mean that I kill you again.” Xerath’s voice was as sweet as when he was still a mortal.

His hands were shaped like claws, with arcs of electricity bouncing between his fingers, and his body, solidified with energy, burned even brighter with rage.

"The shackles of the past still bind me; I cannot rebuild Shurima with these burdens. I will grind you, you venomous seed, to dust so that Shurima may see the dawn once more."

Azir had made Xerath's stance clear. He raised his hand, and a gust of wind immediately swept through the capital of Shurima. Sand and stones flew across the Dawn Oasis, and even the sand dunes outside the city moved entirely, overflowing the windbreak like a tide and piling up neatly on the opposite bank of the river.

The hissing sound of falling sand filled the air, and the aura around him began to tighten, like a bowstring about to snap, as if he were surrounded by enemies.

"How arrogant! Without me, you will achieve nothing!" Xerath watched all this, burning with jealousy.

He painstakingly prepared for decades, dragging the entire empire down with him, only to receive an incomplete ascension and be imprisoned underground in darkness for thousands of years. Azir, on the other hand, could be resurrected even after death, gaining the approval of the Sun Disc and acquiring legitimate ascension power.

Just because Xerath is a slave, he and Azir can never be equals!

Even an object discriminates against him. Feeling wronged, Xerath stared intently at the sun disk behind Azir with burning eyes. Arcane fire ignited in his chest, and he unleashed lightning with all his might. Thunder and fire rained down on the sun disk that blotted out the sky.

"I thought I could trust you, and I knew all your schemes and tricks. I thought you were paving the way for my ascension to the throne, so I chose to ignore you, but I never imagined that your ambition had swelled to this extent!"

The disc suddenly reflected a golden light a hundred times stronger than the midday sun, enveloping everything within Azir's field of vision.

Xerath was enveloped in the light, and his body immediately burst into flames. He cried out in pain and fell like a comet, leaving a trail of black smoke in the air.

“My power grows with the rising sun, and I am reborn when the earth awakens. But as long as you live, Shurima has no future, so I will kill you with the flames of the sun and bury you in the sand.”

Azir's voice came from above. He looked up and saw the Ascended Emperor's figure turn into a light-absorbing black silhouette against the backlight.

"Xerath, you are not worthy of ascension!"

As Azir declared, the light grew even brighter, searing Xerath's body and melting the burning iron chains one after another.

The crocodile god, bathed in light, also underwent a change.

The magical healing from the sun even strengthened his battered body; shattered bones reformed, and his skin hardened like obsidian. He was actually growing, becoming even larger, just as he had when he stood on the altar receiving the divine light and ascended to heaven.

Light shone into Renekton's eyes, melting away the darkness that had shrouded his mind. Fragmented memories surfaced one after another, and those things that had vanished like mirages reappeared. The reason that had been deeply sealed away in the depths of his mind and locked by madness began to rekindle.

Renekton felt pain and fear. He was no longer sure which experience was real. He swayed and struggled, and the light that had once reshaped his flesh and blood now stung him. He swung back and forth between truth and falsehood.

The puppet army clashed with the sand soldiers, their weapons of war oblivious to the fate of the puppets, endlessly repeating the cycle of destruction and creation. This was no ordinary battlefield; ultimate victory would ultimately depend on the contest between their respective masters.

A sudden change occurred within the golden light that enveloped the earth; an unusual glimmer appeared. Xerath transformed into an immortal meteor, rising once more under the pressure of the solar disk.

"Azir! You won't be able to trample me under your feet!"

Xerath was as dazzling as a newborn star. He drew the burning chains into his body, releasing energy that multiplied exponentially.

A comet, wreathed in blue-white flames, shot out from between his outstretched arms, tracing a long arc like a giant boulder hurled from a catapult. It crashed into the city, exploding like a meteor falling to earth, bursting forth in fierce flames.

The burning corpses were tossed into the air like charred firewood. The burning hurricane was filled with Xerath's vicious laughter; his age-old madness found its greatest pleasure in tormenting others.

With a wave of his hand, a series of arcane comets appeared; with his fingers spread, endless lightning flashed. The sky was showered with fire and lightning, engulfing Azir like an apocalyptic catastrophe.

Azir swung his scepter, the tip of which emitted golden light. Under his command, the sun disc slowly rotated, forming a solid barrier of light that blocked the oncoming magical tidal wave, before unleashing a dazzling pillar of light.

Xerath wailed, enveloped in beams of light as if the sun were blazing down on him, as if the heat of a million stars was scorching him, threatening to vaporize him. (The last part, "梅有有有想空你林在在没呢," is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly. It's likely a result of OCR errors.)

The intense light was so blinding that Kai'Sa couldn't look directly at it; this battle was on a completely different level from the Darkin Civil War she had witnessed before.

While the Darkborn were still wielding swords and spears like primitive people, these two Ascended beings were already conjuring up heavenly thunder and earthly fire with every move they made.

No wonder the Wild Hunt said Azir would be the most perfect Ascended.

The Sun Disc, a colossal wonder crafted by the giants themselves, connects to the sole passage to ascension, the very essence of Shurima's former glory. Even it is now under Azir's control. How can Xerath possibly defeat him?

It is no exaggeration to say that all beings are equal under the sun's disk.

As long as Azir sits in the Oasis of Dawn, ensuring he is always under the sun's rays, he is invincible.

If Xerath wants to defeat Azir, he can only do so by destroying the Sun Disk or luring Azir out of the Dawn Oasis.

"Azir, I will send you back underground! I will destroy your city once again!"

Xerath endured the pillar of light, his body bursting forth with intense light once more, as dazzling as a supernova explosion, spewing out countless arcane flames.

The sky seemed to be ablaze, with a torrential downpour of fiery rain. Debris rained down like a storm, the earth shook, and deadly flames descended from the heavens, covering every inch of the Dawn Oasis.

The rain of fire from the sky scorched every inch of the Dawn Oasis, turning the newly built capital into a charred ruin in the blink of an eye. The sand soldiers summoned by Azir were all reduced to piles of molten glass under the unimaginable heat.

Xerath, who caused all of this, floated in the air, looking down at Azir and mocking his incompetence.

Azir landed on the ravaged earth, but he did not retreat. Behind him was a sun disk that blotted out the sky.

“You still do not know the power I gained from the Ascension. I am the Emperor of Shurima, and Dawn Oasis is the Emperor’s capital. The entire city rose because of my power, so what difficulty would it be for me to restore it? As long as I remain on this land, I will not be defeated!”

As soon as he finished speaking, every inch of land illuminated by the sunlight reflected from the sun disk began to be reshaped, and in the blink of an eye, it was completely renewed.

The sand soldiers' phalanx rose up again against the wind, pointed their spears at Xerath in the air, and then fired them in unison.

Chapter 427 The tide has turned

The gunfire was a dark, overwhelming mass, blotting out the sky and covering Xerath.

Xerath casually unleashed a wave of heat, and the spearhead gradually softened into pulp in the raging flames of the Witch Spirit, before being blown away completely by the burning wind.

But Azir's ability is not as simple as just turning sand into soldiers. His ability is to manipulate sand, and the desert is his home ground. And Shurima has no shortage of deserts.

He brandished his staff, and the sand soldiers' formation on the distant riverbank parade ground exploded into a cloud of dust in an instant, from which the faint sound of flapping wings could be heard.

With a series of fierce cries, dozens of sand chimeras rose from the dust cloud. They were enormous, their hyena-like, striped fur adorned with numerous opulent gold ornaments. Each flap of their wings kicked up countless grains of sand. Each one was incredibly powerful, just like their master.

Under Azir's command, these chimeras soared into the sky, forming a circular sandstorm around Xerath under the scorching sun. Then, they launched a fearless attack on their target.

They were not beings with souls; they were created to destroy their enemies.

Xerath unleashed a series of ball lightning bolts from his chest, but the chimeras exploded on their own just before being struck down, then burst forth in front of Xerath, transforming into countless sand falcons.

Xerath immediately experienced the pain of being pecked by sharp claws and beaks, and this pain would continue indefinitely. Countless sand falcons pierced through his heart, and Xerath was like a narrow bottle trying to hold a huge hourglass; the sand frantically drilling through his body was about to burst him.

This pain reminded him of the ancient funeral practices of Shurima, where only the wealthy and powerful were permitted to build tombs and be laid to rest in decaying coffins. Slaves like themselves were left to rot in the wilderness, to be devoured by vultures and hyenas.

The slave owners even gave this a nice-sounding name: sand burial.

Shurima is an empire built on the bloody backs of slaves; prisoners of war, criminals, and those with hereditary titles are all slaves.

This empire reveled in cruelty, where slaves could only use the names bestowed upon them by their masters. Slave owners exploited their blood and sweat, repaying them with suffering. They squeezed their bodies until they were exhausted. When the slave owners felt they had served their purpose, they discarded them.

Although Azir wasn't that kind of person, his arrogance was no different from that of the greatest slave owner. (The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the preceding sentences.)

These deep-seated resentments ignited Xerath's hatred, and he realized that the Sun Disk was Azir's source of energy, and that he had to destroy the Sun Disk to defeat him.

The witch's body emitted a blinding light once more, like stars exploding. Within a breath of time following the invisible magical impact, the sky-covering sand falcons were instantly engulfed in white flames.

The sandstorm instantly transformed into a vortex of flames, the sky seemed to be ablaze, burning feathers fell in droves, and the flames rained down. The entire city burned fiercely amidst Xerath's maniacal laughter.

But amidst this rain of fire, one pair of wings remained unignited—a pair of tattered, fleshy wings—rushing toward him through the burning sky.

As Xerath raised his hand, intending to strike him down with a scorching ray, the man suddenly accelerated and forcefully reached him.

The living greatsword with a heart cleaved through his magic, and Xerath felt a tremendous impact on his chest before he was transformed into a fiery meteor and plunged into the moat.

He sank to the bottom of the river, where the surging waters rushed in and reacted violently with the flames burning on Xerath's body, generating a large amount of water vapor and suppressing his spiritual fire. But even through the river, Xerath's body remained as bright as day, dazzling like a star, radiating terrifying heat.

The sudden appearance of Aatrox caught the Wild Hunt off guard, but fortunately, he didn't randomly target or attack his men. Seeing that Xerath was powerless to reverse the situation, the Wild Hunt recalled the Queen of the Nest into the Hive.

Such a large living mothership is not something he can create casually. If it weren't for the burst of power during his evolution, it would take him a long time to build a similar one, and he would still feel heartbroken if it were damaged.

However, once the Nest Mother is present, creating small void creatures becomes much easier, as her reproductive cavity can give birth to all sorts of unprecedented things according to the Wild Hunt's ideas.

Xerath charged out of the moat, angrily ordering Renekton to deal with Aatrox, who had appeared out of nowhere, and not to stop him from settling his score with Azir.

However, the Desert Butcher, bathed in the light of the sun's disc, was oblivious to the ancient sorcerer's malicious words.

Gazing at the sun disc, Renekton recalled the moment of his ascension, when he carried his terminally ill brother to the altar, bathing in the dazzling radiance of the sun disc.

He was not originally qualified to ascend, and he was prepared to be eliminated when he did so, but he was unexpectedly enlightened and ascended.

Should I thank my brother for allowing me to survive, or was it because my selfless dedication moved the heavens? But what kind of person is Nasus? Is he someone I should give my life for?

Renekton is unreliable, Aatrox has already landed on the dam and is eyeing the enemy covetously, while Azir sits firmly on his altar, unshaken.

Xerath realized that his chances were slim, and that Azir was invincible under the Sun Disk.

Thus, he unleashed the dark power accumulated over a thousand years, creating a catastrophe comparable to the one that occurred when he usurped the ascension a thousand years ago, enough to sweep away the Dawn Oasis with a terrifying shockwave.

"Azir, you won't be smug for long." The one who started all this transformed into a streak of light and fled towards the setting sun. He wanted to escape, and even Azir couldn't stop him.

The shockwave annihilated everything in its path, its power so great that the Wild Hunt had to take even its distant, observing companions into its bubble space for refuge.

The moat, which was almost full, evaporated again, turning into a cloud of water vapor. The Wild Hunt wanted to pull Sivir in as well, but saw Charikar unleash a divine power, forming a transparent light barrier around her.

Since the Savior Blade protected her, there's no need for the Wild Hunt to go through all that trouble.

The control from the witch spirit dissipated, the obelisk lost its power, and the puppet army cried out in agony, falling silent and lifeless once more.

Don't pursue a cornered enemy. Looking down at the burning city, Azir realized he still had a lot to deal with.

He waved his scepter, and the crimson ribbons fluttered in the wind. The sun disk shifted again, and under its light, the entire city was transformed.

Chapter 428 The Emperor and the Dark Ones

After Xerath escaped, Aatrox immediately set his sights on Kai'Sa, who had just torn through space and returned to the present world, and flew straight over, dragging his greatsword.

Kai'Sa wanted to fight him, but Wild Hunt reminded her that Azir was watching, and that doing so would prevent her from gaining the moral high ground.

So Kai'Sa simply kept a safe distance and led him toward Azir. She ran through the empty, wide streets, crossing flowerbeds and ponds everywhere, with Aatrox in hot pursuit.

Aatrox became hesitant, clearly not wanting to damage the buildings in the city. He slung the greatsword behind his back and only used his hands to reach for it.

Kai'Sa ran toward the altar where Azir was, but the guards before the ascension steps had already crossed their spears, blocking her way to see Azir.

"Let me through, I want to see His Majesty Azir."

These guards, draped in gold and red cloaks, with bandaged faces beneath their helmets, silently watched the newcomers without responding.

Seeing that the guards ignored her and Aatrox was closing in from behind, Kai'Sa removed her helmet, revealing her face, and shouted to Azir on the altar: "Your Majesty, I have urgent business to discuss with you!"

A sharp metallic clang suddenly rang out as sand soldiers rose from the ground, blocking Aatrox's menacing gaze.

Less than three meters away, Aatrox looked down at the petite Kai'Sa. His large hand, gripping the hilt of his sword as if to draw it, trembled a few times before being forced to loosen its hold. But his eyes never left Kai'Sa, his expression one of waiting to see what would happen.

Afterwards, Azir slowly descended the steps under the watchful eyes of the two. The steps leading up to him were designed to be wide enough that even an eagle's talons could easily spread out and stand on them, allowing Azir to walk with great ease.

"Daughter of Shurima, what brings you here?" As Azir approached, Kai'Sa keenly sensed the smell of livestock emanating from him, like raw hide that had just been peeled off and hadn't been tanned. When she saw that the hand holding his scepter had turned into an eagle's claw, Kai'Sa felt relieved.