C2124 A Robbery of the Dead Souls

"Shadow Lord..."

Both of Yu Yuan's eyes narrowed simultaneously, calmly observing the dark energy that had overtaken Tan Xiaotian.

Under their intense scrutiny, the images of the dark Evil Gods manifesting above Tan Xiaotian's head seemed to be kneaded by an unseen colossal force. The dark energy, which had taken shape, began to silently vanish from the Evil God projections.

"Shadow."

Yu Yuan whispered contemplatively from above, his mind drifting to the praying mat known as "Shadowsky." Could there be a connection between the two?

Beneath the darkened heavens, deep within the recesses of Yu Yuan's consciousness, the surface of the highest emerald table stirred, sending out a subtle ripple.

A cold smirk broke across his face as he declared, "It's merely a trivial piece of history."

Indeed, there once was an Abyss Devil who had mastered the essence of darkness, ascending to become a Dark Deity.

Before Yu Yuan ascended as the Lord of the Abyss, before he had fully dominated the seven layers of the Abyss, he had faced the challenges of countless Evil Gods and survived numerous grueling battles.

The Abyss honored the mighty, notorious for its brutal conflicts. Every Evil God born within the Abyss had climbed to power over a mountain of endless skeletons and White Bone.

Such Evil Gods rose to prominence, earning the favor of the Holy Temple's guardians, and the Lord of the Abyss was no exception.

The Shadow Lord was merely one of the Evil Gods who had clashed with him and had been slain by his hand.

Among the many Evil Gods who had perished by his hand, the Shadow Lord was not particularly remarkable. Moreover, during their battle, because he could not endure the descent of the Dark Anima, his pupils continuously wept black blood, which only diminished him in Yu Yuan's eyes.

It would be more accurate to say that the Shadow Lord was too feeble to bear the presence of his spiritual essence, rather than to say he was vanquished by Yu Yuan.

As for the chariot, it lingered as nothing more than a hazy memory for Yu Yuan.

"I remember now."

Yu Yuan massaged his temples with his true form, the sneer on his face growing more pronounced as he remarked, "Before I became the Lord of the Abyss, the Shadow Lord was an Evil God not even worth mentioning. He was far too insignificant. There have been far too many Evil Gods that have died by my hand; the Shadow Lord was just one of many, so insignificant that I barely recalled him."

As they conversed, the sharpened edge of the Dragon Slaying Stage pivoted toward the dark chariot that had emerged from the Abyss of Truth. Razor-sharp sword will, capable of slicing through the very walls of the Abyss, streaked directly at the banner fluttering above the chariot. The violet gold sword light coalesced into the Heaven-Opening Sword Array at the chariot's core, transforming into orbs of sword light that tumbled into its interior. In an instant, the crystalline ice morphed into blades and detonated within the chariot.

The Heaven-Opening Sword Array was deployed repeatedly, its bloody luminescence scattering like countless stars, carrying with it the transformative power of life, the howling of storms, the chill of ice, and the true essence of swordsmanship as it flowed through time. The exquisite glyphs etched onto the chariot were severed by the relentless sword light. The already tattered banner gained new fissures as the orbs of sword light burst forth. Through these cracks, the forces of withering and silence, the power of annihilation, were laid bare.

The gaps in the banner appeared to be portals to the true Abyss, as if they could channel the forgotten powers within. Yu Yuan's brow furrowed in concern. The aura seeping from those fissures reminded him of Brugeth. The extraterritorial battlefield, ravaged by the Maw of Oblivion and stripped of all cosmic energy, was now a barren void. Yet, beneath the real Abyss of Truth lay a myriad of colossal carcasses and Starshards fused together, along with numerous obscured realms and cities, all shrouded and concealed. It was a frigid wasteland, not entirely void, still concealing immense mysteries.

"You've underestimated me," came a cold voice. "The Shadow Lord perished because he could not withstand my power." Tan Xiaotian, assuming his Divine Visage, stood atop the massive black chariot and declared, "The dark treasure I have forged, Shadowsky, was beyond his capacity to wield. But Tan Xiaotian is different."

Dark magic light swirled in his eyes, mirroring the abyssal darkness within the banner's tears, conjuring once more a force that siphoned Primal Blood. With a crack, a delicate layer of ice encasing Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit shattered under the gaze of those malevolent eyes. The black banner, once aloft, now grasped in his hand, summoned a colossal maelstrom of darkness that swiftly ground Yu Yuan's sword light and orbs, launched from the Dragon Slaying Stage, to dust.

The shadowy forms of the Evil Gods, on the brink of fading away, grew clearer and more imposing. They drew in dark energy above Yu Yuan's head and channeled their strength into him.

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

Simultaneously, the Primal Soul, now hosting his spiritual sense as the Undead Sovereign, seemed to detect an opportunity and a usable power through some anomaly in the external void.

"Perhaps..."

The Primal Soul of the Abyss appeared deep in thought, as if pondering an exceedingly complex issue and facing a tough decision.

Whoosh!

All at once, the Primal Soul of the Abyss, utilizing Yu Yuan's form as the Undead Sovereign, soared from the World of Darkness into the heavens.

It transcended the void's boundary, ascending from the depths of Darkland to the summit of the Abyss.

There, it stood upon the Origin Realm above the Abyss!

The Dark Anima, poised for a desperate effort, was taken aback by Yu Yuan's abrupt departure and inquired with a mental voice, eager to understand his next move and true intentions.

The two Primal Animas, one below in the Abyss and the other above, communicated through an arcane technique.

Yu Yuan was taken aback as well.

He hadn't anticipated that the Primal Soul, which had seized his body, would bolt from the World of Darkness without any warning.

As soon as the Primal Soul departed, the world fell eerily silent, and the omnipresent Soul Power instantly stilled.

His real body, due to that entity's exit, could now draw strength from the Soul Power in the darkness, enriching his Sea of Consciousness and Soul Altar.

Without hesitation, regardless of the other's intentions, he began to amass Soul Power.

...

Above the Abyss.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Lord of the Abyss!"

The Demon Gods of the Sky Fiend Race, still debating whether to plunge into the profound darkness, naturally turned their attention to him.

"No, it's not Yu Yuan. It's... our Creator."

Demon God Saca, who had assimilated an ancient Titan warrior, stood amidst a vast sea of meteorites. His devil soul quivered suddenly.

This Demon God, whose strength had surged due to the land fragments, was the first to respectfully kneel on one knee, his forehead touching the dark brown rock, and proclaimed, "Sky Fiend Saca, I thank you for your boon!"

Saca was acutely aware that the fragments of land that had broken away from the Abyss held the true essence of the earth. He was able to absorb and integrate them, a blessing bestowed upon him by the individual before him.

Saca was profoundly grateful.

The Demon God, whose thoughts had been altered due to a shift in the source, had long lost the memory that the creator of the Sky Fiend race was the vast Primal Soul of the Everlands.

In the heart of Sky Fiend Saca, he was his creator, the one to whom he owed his allegiance.

In the depths of Kaiya's eyes, a dark-green magical light flickered uncertainly, as if she was on the verge of recollection. Yet, any remnants of memory that tried to surface were ruthlessly erased by an unseen force.

Eventually, Kaiya also bowed in reverence to Yu Yuan, the Undead Sovereign who had taken over her body.

"Yes, he... is the source of our souls."

Jihui, witnessing the solemn reverence of Sky Fiend Saca and Kaiya's act of homage, came to a sudden realization.

"Our human race's creator."

"The primal seeds of the Abyss's various races were also born from him."

At that moment, each Primordial Spirit, the mighty Sky Fiends, and the rulers of the Abyss recognized his origin and paid their respects.

He remained impassive, ignoring the kneeling and exultations of the crowd.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Within the peculiar physique of the "Undead Sovereign," channels corresponding to the "Path of Undead" flowed gently, filled with Shadow Moon Essence and pure shadow energy.

"Merge with me."

His resonant Soul Voice traveled through the Origin Realm, reaching out along the "Path of Undead" that spanned the vast Astral Domain.

Every ghost and soul with spiritual wisdom, no matter their location in the world, heard his mighty Soul Voice and felt the call and the bond.

The ghosts and souls that had perished recently due to the onslaught of the Sky Fiends and the rampage of the Evil God filled the "Path of Undead," following a specific path.

The "Path of Undead," akin to a river transporting the spirits and ghosts, was meant to deliver them to the Wraithlands and then into the Levi River.

With his command, "Merge with me," the Primal Vitality he had grasped and the authority of the "Undead Sovereign" he wielded were invoked, halting the flow of all "Paths of Undead."

The gathered souls and ghosts within the "Path of Undead" across the various Astral Domains vanished abruptly.

The spirits and phantoms of the Otherkin, along with those from various races who failed to gain entry to the Wraithlands, vanished within the Path of Undead, unable to bear the overwhelming burden.

Yet, his presence continued to climb in a frenzied ascent, growing boundlessly!

He had plundered the souls of the beings from the Origin Realm!

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