The final leg of the journey passed without incident as the Starfield Ark arrived at the twenty-sixth layer of the Abyss. The lack of danger along the way was expected, after all, the mighty figures of the Abyss frequently traversed its many layers. If mere passage through these worlds incited bloodshed, it would be nothing short of absurd! Thus, the journey was relatively safe—provided one didn’t reveal their true identity.
“We’re here,” Dongbo Xueying murmured as he stood aboard the Starfield Ark, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, anticipation burning in his eyes. “Brother Changfeng, I’ve come. I hope you’re still holding on!”
“Darhao.”
A cold glint flashed in Dongbo Xueying’s eyes.
Back then, Darhao had merely reached across the vast expanse of space to manipulate forces within the Xia Clan’s world, stirring a storm of blood and nearly wiping them out. Naturally, Dongbo Xueying harbored no mercy for him—but first, he had to rescue Brother Changfeng and his wife.
“Brother Changfeng’s will is extraordinary. Holding on for tens of thousands of years shouldn’t be difficult for him.” Yet, as he drew closer to his final goal, a flicker of unease stirred within him.
—
Within a grand hall, seated upon a throne of dark splendor, was a towering figure clad in black armor—a Great Demon God.
“Hahahaha…” Darhao laughed heartily, his gaunt, scaled face adorned with massive curved horns, his crimson eyes radiating malice. “You dance well! Come, come, to my side.”
Below, a group of alluring succubi and illusion demons swayed seductively before eagerly ascending the steps to surround Darhao, attending to his every whim. Though mere lowly subordinates, each was a Demon God in their own right.
“Master, does this please you?” One illusion demon massaged his shoulders with delicate fingers.
“Master, taste this wine,” a bewitching succubus murmured before pressing her lips to his, sharing the exquisite liquor from her own mouth.
Darhao indulged without restraint.
Such was the way of the Abyss’s mighty—ruthless in slaughter, yet unrestrained in pleasure, sometimes descending into madness like rabid beasts.
Today, Darhao was in high spirits. He had just broken through to the Third Heaven God Emperor realm.
“Advancing from the Second to the Third Heaven was no small feat,” he mused. “Now, under His Majesty’s banner, I stand among the elite.” His territory had expanded greatly, with numerous Great Demon Gods swearing fealty to him. “I’m still young among Third Heaven Great Demon Gods. Perhaps… I can strive for the Fourth Heaven. Then, I could claim an Abyssal World as my own, ruling as a Monarch!”
The thought filled him with ambition.
Indeed, he was young. Before, he wouldn’t have dared dream of reaching the Fourth Heaven. But now, as a Third Heaven God Emperor, he allowed himself to hope.
“Yet, I hear that Dongbo Xueying of the Divine Realm rises with terrifying speed.” The mere thought weighed heavily on him. “The fastest to reach the Third Heaven in history, wielding peerless techniques that rival even Fourth Heaven God Emperors.”
Dongbo Xueying’s name was legendary, echoing throughout the Dark Abyss. When Darhao first heard it, his heart nearly stopped. Upon learning that this was the same Dongbo Xueying who had emerged from the Xia Clan’s world—the very one he had tormented—his fear became palpable.
He feared retribution.
Ironically, that fear had driven him to break through, ascending to the Third Heaven. Even the Abyssal Monarch had rewarded him handsomely for it.
**”Hmm?”**
Suddenly, a colossal hand wreathed in black mist materialized within the hall, descending upon Darhao with crushing force.
Darhao’s face twisted in terror. The sheer power radiating from that hand froze his blood. “Spare me!” he shrieked, scrambling to evade. The mere shockwaves of his movement reduced the surrounding succubi and illusion demons to shattered corpses—such was the might of a Third Heaven God Emperor. A single misstep, and lesser demons perished instantly.
Yet, despite his desperate flight, the colossal palm struck true.
**BOOM!**
The force was absolute. Darhao’s body exploded, his divine heart obliterated, even his armor crumpling like paper. Dongbo Xueying’s strength was something even the mightiest of beings dreaded—his raw power and speed were the foundation of his combat prowess, rivaling the greatest of experts.
—
Ten thousand miles away, within a secluded stone hut, Darhao’s true body—freshly ascended to the Third Heaven—sat in meditation.
“Disaster!” His avatar had been annihilated in an instant.
His true form immediately sought to flee.
“You think you can escape?” A calm, icy voice sent chills down his spine.
Darhao’s eyes widened in horror as a figure clad in dark-red robes appeared before him, masked and crowned with spiraling horns. The aura radiating from this being was suffocating. The annihilation of his avatar had already shown him the insurmountable gap between them.
Without hesitation, Darhao dropped to his knees, kowtowing frantically. “Mercy! Spare me, Venerable One! I submit! I swear allegiance!”
Simultaneously, he sent a desperate plea to his master:
**”Your Majesty! A supreme being seeks my life! My avatar is already destroyed! Save me!”**
—
**”Hmm?”**
Beside a river of molten lava, a golden-armored figure opened his eyes, fury burning within.
“This layer is **my** domain! Who dares slaughter my subordinates without even notifying me?”
As an Abyssal Monarch, his pride was inviolable. Moreover, Darhao, now a Third Heaven God Emperor, was one of his most valuable assets. Among his forces, only a few dozen had reached such heights.
“I shall see who is so brazen.”
With a thought, the golden-armored figure vanished.
—
Dongbo Xueying gazed down at the groveling Darhao, his emotions complex. This was the being who had once established the Demon God Society in the Xia Clan’s world, whose shadow had loomed over them for millions of years. Now, his true form knelt in surrender.
Such submission was hardly surprising. In the Dark Abyss, the strong ruled, and the weak bowed—survival was paramount.
“Spare me, and I shall serve you faithfully!” Darhao pleaded, his scaled face contorted in desperation.
Dongbo Xueying frowned.
**BOOM.**
A golden-armored figure materialized beside them.
“Your Majesty!” Darhao cried out in relief. Within an Abyssal World spanning trillions of miles, a Fourth Heaven God Emperor could traverse vast distances in an instant.
The golden-armored figure had come to assert his authority—until his eyes fell upon Dongbo Xueying’s dark-red robes.
His expression shifted instantly.
**”Bloodblade Hallmaster?”**
Only those personally appointed by the Bloodblade Divine Emperor wore such attire. Each Hallmaster wielded power rivaling the mightiest of experts—far beyond what a mere Fourth Heaven God Emperor like himself could oppose. Worse, the Bloodblade Hallmasters were assassins. They struck without warning, without courtesy.
“Ah, Hallmaster, you must be… on a mission,” the golden-armored figure forced a smile, his earlier fury evaporating. “I shan’t disturb you. Not at all.”
With that, he vanished without another word.
“Your Majesty! YOUR MAJESTY!” Darhao screamed in despair, his voice raw with terror.
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