Chapter 563: The Abyssal World

The Dark Abyss also has land and seas, towering ancient trees, rivers and lakes.

Yet it is perpetually shrouded in an aura of darkness, nourishing every native creature born within. These beings emerge with formidable physiques, but all are bloodthirsty and murderous. To the denizens of the Material Realm and the Divine Realm, they are known as… demons!

“Whoosh.”

A demon darted through the jungle, cautiously scanning its surroundings. The growth of a demon is a history of slaughter. The path to becoming a Demon God is arduous, so even the most foolish demons possess an innate cunning.

“That bone dragon isn’t here—must be out patrolling. Perfect.” The scrawny demon perched on a massive tree, observing from afar before making its judgment.

Just then—

“Rumble~~~”

Deep within the crimson-dark sky, an enormous black ship tore through the spatial tunnel, its oppressive aura freezing the very space around it. The sheer might radiating from it sent the scrawny demon below trembling uncontrollably. Through the haze, the demon glimpsed a figure standing at the ship’s prow, exuding an aura of dark annihilation.

A single glance—not even a clear one—was enough. The demon immediately lowered its head, too terrified to look again.

Too terrifying!

This presence was countless times more dreadful than any Demon God it had ever encountered! Just a vague glimpse from over a hundred thousand miles away had plunged it into utter terror.

“Whoosh.”

The black ship swiftly tore through the spatial tunnel once more, vanishing from this layer of the Abyss.

The scrawny demon finally exhaled in relief. “Who was that? Some Great Demon God?”

To lowly demons, a Great Demon God was already an unfathomably lofty existence. As for an Abyssal Monarch? Such a puny demon would never have the chance to meet one in its entire lifetime.

—

Another layer of the Dark Abyss.

Amidst the desolate wilderness and rolling mountain forests, two forces clashed in a frenzied battle. The shockwaves of their conflict toppled countless trees—some frozen and shattered, others set ablaze in roaring flames. Demon legions surged forward relentlessly, while Demon Gods led the charge at the forefront.

This was a war of immense scale!

A war between two Great Demon Gods!

At the heart of the battlefield, the two titanic figures clashed with savage ferocity, forcing even their subordinates to retreat far away.

“Heh heh heh.” A Great Demon God with sixteen arms stood in the void, his chilling laughter echoing across the battlefield. “One-Eye, your avatars are destroyed, your most prized Bloodforged Divine Weapon lost. Still fighting me? This time, you won’t escape death.”

Opposite him loomed an enormous Great Demon God, his head half the size of his body, adorned with a sinister crimson vertical eye. His voice rumbled low and menacing. “You’re the one courting death. My children, heed my will—slaughter them all!”

“Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!”

The One-Eyed Great Demon God’s legions erupted into fanatical frenzy, heedless of their own lives.

Just then—

“BOOM~~~”

A black ship emerged from the spatial tunnel, its oppressive aura instantly paralyzing both Great Demon Gods with terror. Their Demon Gods and countless lesser demons trembled under the primal fear of their very existence.

At the prow of the ship, a figure clad in dark crimson robes, two spiral horns curling from his head, cast a fleeting glance at the battlefield.

Though he did not deliberately unleash his might, the sheer weight of his presence plunged the demons into darkness, their minds thrown into chaos as they plummeted from the sky. The Demon Gods shivered uncontrollably, and even the two Great Demon Gods were gripped by overwhelming dread.

Dongbo Xueying’s mental cultivation had long refined his divine heart to crystalline purity, radiating brilliance. Had he willed it, a mere glance could have shattered the divine hearts of these two first-tier Great Demon Gods, annihilating them instantly. The weaker demons and Demon Gods, so vastly inferior in life essence, would have perished in droves.

With only a passing look, Dongbo Xueying guided the Starfield Ark onward, piercing through this layer of the Abyss toward the next.

Only after the black ship vanished did the two Great Demon Gods dare to breathe again.

“Was that… an Abyssal Monarch? Or perhaps one of the supreme powers of the Dark Abyss?”

“Such terrifying strength. A single glance, and I couldn’t even move.”

—

Standing at the prow of the Starfield Ark, Dongbo Xueying paid no heed to the countless demons below. Even the Abyssal Monarchs ruling each layer meant little to him—most were merely fourth-tier Heaven Gods, posing no real threat. Only beings at the level of a Paragon could truly endanger him.

His true wariness lay with the omnipresent “Abyssal Will.”

“I must not let the Abyssal Will detect my identity. If exposed, I’d become a target for countless horrors lurking in the Dark Abyss. That would be disastrous.” Dongbo Xueying mused. “But as a Bloodblade Hall Master, this disguise is potent. The risk of exposure is minimal.”

Whoosh.

Layer after layer of the Abyss flashed by.

The twelfth layer.

As the black ship arrived, Dongbo Xueying immediately sensed a looming threat.

“An existence stronger than me.” He glanced into the distance before swiftly urging the Starfield Ark forward, hastening toward the next layer.

Thousands of billions of miles away, beneath the placid surface of a vast, shadowy lake, a slumbering behemoth stirred.

Its crimson eyes pierced through the waters and the fabric of space, locking onto the distant black ship.

“A passerby?” The colossal creature watched as the ship departed for the next layer before closing its eyes and sinking back into slumber.

—

The twenty-third layer.

This layer was strangely beautiful—clear skies, rare among the Abyss, resembling the mortal world. Few clouds drifted, and sunlight bathed the land. Demons were sparse here, and even Demon Gods and Great Demon Gods were fewer, living in relative peace, seldom waging large-scale wars.

A tranquil, harmonious layer.

Yet Dongbo Xueying’s guard was at its peak. This was the most perilous layer on his journey.

The ruler of this land is the White Monarch—a slaughter-obsessed, Venerable-tier entity from the Dark Abyss. Though relatively young among Venerable-tier beings, the White Monarch’s infamy remains unrivaled. Each Venerable-tier forges their own path, and his is one of unrelenting carnage.

In combat, he was peerless.

Far from Dongbo Xueying’s path, within an opulent hall, countless chefs prepared lavish delicacies, served to their noble master.

Seated at the feast was a stunningly handsome man clad in silver-white armor, deftly wielding twin blades to slice his food with practiced ease, savoring each bite.

This was the White Monarch.

Though infamous for his bloodlust, in times of peace, he reveled in tranquility and gourmet pleasures.

Suddenly, his gaze flickered toward the distance, spotting the dark-crimson-robed figure aboard the black ship.

“That attire… a Hall Master of the Bloodblade Tavern?” The White Monarch murmured before returning to his meal.

Occasional visits from passing Paragons were common. He couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

—

Only after leaving the twenty-third layer did Dongbo Xueying relax. This had been the sole layer housing a being capable of annihilating him with ease—a single strike would suffice.

“Almost there.” He allowed himself a faint smile.

Onward.

The twenty-sixth layer—the domain of his target, the Great Demon God ‘Darhao’!