Long, slender fingers. A black robe draped entirely over his form. Broad shoulder plates flared outward, and the enormous black cape that flowed from them stretched behind him endlessly—like a shadow with no end.
The Abyssal Sage Monarch lightly parted his lips. "That little whale did well."
"The spatial passage from the Abyssal Plane to the Douluo Plane has already been opened using the Blood River God-Slaying Array. All abyssal creatures below the god level can now pass through the portal and enter the Douluo Plane to devour the life force of its beings."
"And the location where the spatial passage was opened… just happens to be in Mingdu, the capital of the Sun-Moon Federation—the most densely populated region of the Douluo Plane."
Below him, one after another, Abyssal Kings appeared.
Each of them had a unique form. The faces of these abyssal beings were all filled with excitement, battlelust, and bloodthirst. They were to be the vanguard of the invasion of the Douluo Plane.
In other words, they would seize the benefits of conquering a vast plane before even the Abyssal Sage Monarch himself.
As Abyssal Kings, beings who occupied the upper tiers of the Abyssal Plane's energy hierarchy, they could significantly enhance their cultivation and combat power. Those ranked near the top could even use this opportunity to cross the divine threshold.
Taking advantage of the excitement, the second-level Abyssal King, the Spirit Emperor, knelt down before the Abyssal Sage Monarch.
The Spirit Emperor had the appearance of a human man, wearing a golden robe with long flowing golden hair and a handsome face. He had a dramatic flair, completed with a massive golden cape on his back.
Following closely behind and also bowing to the Abyssal Sage Monarch was the third-level Abyssal King, the Blazing Emperor—a muscular warrior clad in blue-purple armor. His physical body had reached the god level, and the energy radiating around him far surpassed the ordinary.
Others followed, such as:
The sixth-level Abyssal King: the cunning and strategic Wisdom Emperor
The ninth-level: the breathtakingly beautiful, straight-black-haired Black Empress
The tenth-level: the Abyssal Sage Monarch's mount, the Heavenly Bull Emperor
In total, more than a hundred Abyssal Kings, corresponding to the 108 levels of the Abyssal Plane, bowed before their monarch.
"Congratulations, Sage Monarch! The six-thousand-year plan is coming to fruition! The Douluo Plane is as good as ours!"
Their words of congratulation were endless, filling the hall and greatly pleasing the Abyssal Sage Monarch. In this moment of triumph, he was even in the mood for a bit of humor.
"Let us rejoice together! Rejoice!"
"Honestly, not too long ago, I felt the Douluo Plane tremble. That little whale sure knows how to stir things up."
"If I didn't know better, I'd have thought the Douluo Plane's Will had awakened."
"I was so startled, I almost used the super divine weapon—Heavenly Saint Abyssal Halberd—to steer the Abyssal Plane into retreat."
"Heh…" The Abyssal Sage Monarch chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Looking back now, I really was like a dog who lost its home."
The Abyssal Sage Monarch laughed, jested, and even mocked himself. But the Abyssal Kings below dared not laugh along.
Having followed him for many years, they knew very well the true nature of their ruler.
If not fickle in temperament, then certainly cruel and tyrannical.
To joke about their monarch being a dog? Best not.
Only when the spatial passage to the Douluo Plane was stable enough for the full Abyssal Army to pass through did the Abyssal Sage Monarch withdraw his smile.
"Spirit Emperor, Wisdom Emperor."
"You two will lead the Abyssal Army—Spirit as the main commander, Wisdom as the vice. As agreed with that little whale, begin the full-scale invasion of the Douluo Plane!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Including over a hundred Abyssal Kings, the vast Abyssal Army surged forward like smoke and sea, led by the Spirit and Wisdom Emperors, marching grandly into the Douluo Plane through the spatial passage.
And seated high upon his throne, the Abyssal Sage Monarch watched it all unfold.
As the countless abyssal beings faded away like a receding tide, the joy in his pitch-black eyes vanished—replaced by coldness, an endless, bone-chilling cold.
As the ruler of the Abyssal Plane, he understood perfectly how its energy was structured.
Roughly 70% was concentrated in himself, the plane's monarch.About 20% was shared among the Abyssal Kings.The remaining 10% was scattered across the lower abyssal creatures.
In his plan, these Kings and creatures who had followed him for millennia… were all expendable. In fact, they had to be discarded.
Though the Douluo Plane was a world with deep life-force foundations and a long history, the Abyssal Plane could never fully ascend to become a true God Realm. At best, it might reach the level of a demi-God Realm.
Thus, the idea of him stepping into the realm of a God King was fantasy.
However, if all the energy used to construct the plane were poured entirely into himself… then it would be a completely different story. He might truly break into the God King realm.
And given his own personality, he had never intended to share the Abyssal energy with those Kings and creatures.
"Hmph! A bunch of lowly abyssal scum!"
"Worthy? Hardly."
Thinking of his six-thousand-year plan nearing success, the Abyssal Sage Monarch couldn't help but feel both thrilled and arrogantly proud.
Among all beings, who else could sit upon the fishing platform, calmly fishing for six thousand years? Only he, the Abyssal Sage Monarch!
He asked the world:
Who else?
As he marched alone toward his solitary destiny, the Abyssal Kings under his command had already led the army across the spatial passage, clashing head-on with the Mingdu City Defense Forces.
Originally, although the Sun-Moon Federation had lost an entire generation of powerhouses to Di Tian's attack, Mingdu's fixed defensive soul-tool arrays remained.
With cutting-edge soul-tool technology and ample resources and manpower to draw from, the capital was still able to withstand the Abyssal Army's initial wave.
Unfortunately, once a multitude of half-god and quasi-god-level Abyssal Kings crossed over, Mingdu's defenses came under immense pressure, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Then came the final straw that broke the camel's back: the Holy Spirit Cult—the evil soul masters who had long evaded purging in Mingdu.
They rose up from within the city, coordinating with the invaders outside in a perfect pincer movement.
Striking while the city defense forces were weakest, they delivered a killing blow.
An impregnable fortress built on ten thousand years of soul-tool advancements… fell in a single day.
The Abyssal Army began spreading outward from Mingdu, like a flower blooming at its center.
Unlike Douluo Plane's soul power, Abyssal energy was now seeping in all directions.
Their advance was unstoppable—overwhelming and swift—shaking the entire continent.
——
Tang Sect.
Stretching his body with a yawn, Tang Wulin let out a long, satisfied breath. A rare smile appeared on his face.
Another component of his three-word battle armor was complete.
He could clearly feel his power growing rapidly with each finished piece of armor.
But just as the tremors from the continent and the eerie Abyssal energy reached the Tang Sect, Tang Wulin's smile instantly vanished.
In recent years, he had traveled to the Blood God Legion to train and was intimately familiar with Abyssal energy.
"Abyssal invasion!"
His exclamation echoed in shock—just as the Sea God Trident on his forehead began to shimmer with brilliant light.
Tang San's divine consciousness appeared, wearing a calm and knowing expression.
"The fish has taken the bait."
A ten-thousand-year scheme was finally about to bear fruit. All the previous obstacles would soon prove to be mere trifles.
Yet just as Tang San bathed in his own "grand, no-need-for-words" aura…
Disaster struck without warning!
(End of chapter)