The Abyssal Battlefield and the Rise of Izaloth

“Hey, old man Isaac, you’re not just going to stand there and watch them fight, are you?” the shadowy figure transmitted to Isaac from the sky.

Isaac looked up at the zenith. He scanned the surroundings, then smiled at the shadowy figure, saying, “Of course not!”

Just as Ye Qi broke free from the cage and Bailuan prepared to launch another attack, Isaac abruptly appeared between them and roared, “Have you two had enough?!”

As Isaac’s sonic waves spread, both Ye Qi and Bailuan ceased their movements.

Bailuan hovered in mid-air, a taunting smile playing on his lips as he looked at Ye Qi.

Ye Qi, her expression devoid of emotion, stated, “He killed Su Han…”

Isaac turned to Ye Qi, a benevolent smile gracing his face, and said, “Yes, I know. You should take Michele back now!” Then, he turned his head to Bailuan and declared, “Bailuan, I don’t need to elaborate; you know exactly what you’ve done. Go to the Abyssal Battlefield and fight for three years before you return!”

“Within those three years, you must kill at least thirty Abyssal Demons of the eighth bloodline tier!” Isaac added. “If you fail, you will remain there until you have completed the task!”

“Three years…” Bailuan was, understandably, displeased.

The Abyssal Battlefield—what did that even signify? It was a place that connected directly to the Demonic Abyss itself. The segment of the Abyssal Battlefield accessible from Cangnan Academy was situated within ancient ruins, linking to the twenty-third layer of the Demonic Abyss, a prominent rank among the ninety-nine layers—the Starfall Abyss!

Within, alongside dozens of Demon Lords of the tenth bloodline tier, there were even beings of the Abyssal Lord level. Beyond them were countless Greater Demons. Demons of the fifth bloodline tier and above were innumerable, while those below the fifth tier constituted the vast majority.

Truthfully, if Bailuan had been any weaker, entering such a place would have been a death sentence. For while Abyssal Demons constantly slaughtered and devoured each other to evolve, they presented a united front against all outsiders.

Of course, danger always came hand-in-hand with opportunity. Though the Demonic Abyss teemed with peril, its opportunities were equally rare and coveted.

For instance, the corpses and crystal cores of Abyssal Demons were exceedingly precious to the outside world. Furthermore, materials such as magical metals, exotic herbs, special crystal cores, rare crystals, and S-grade gems could only be found within the Demonic Abyss.

Examples included Abyssal Demon Iron, Frigid Meteorite Ice, Seven-Leaf Profound Star Grass, Strange Scent Flower, Demon Crystal Cores, Hypnotic Crystals, Dragon’s Eye, and Power Amplification Gems—all exclusive to the Abyss and nonexistent in the outside world.

Naturally, the weak who ventured into the Abyss were devoured. Yet, even the powerful sometimes found themselves unable to enter, which led to the scarcity and exorbitant prices of abyssal resources.

As for why powerful individuals might be unable to enter the Abyss? It was due to the absence of an Abyssal Entrance (referring to the Abyssal Battlefield or similar conduits). Without one, the Abyss remained hidden and inaccessible, unless one could forcefully tear open space—a feat currently unknown to any.

However, Great Abyssal Lords, who commanded their respective layers of the Abyss, could manipulate their domain and tear through space to reach it from anywhere.

“Hm? What’s wrong, are you unwilling?” Isaac asked, his eyes narrowing.

‘I will go!’

Though deeply unwilling, Bailuan ultimately yielded to Isaac’s oppressive authority. It wasn’t that Bailuan dared not resist, nor that he couldn’t defeat Isaac. Rather, he had crucial business to attend to here, and if he alienated Isaac, all his efforts would be for naught.

Venturing into the Abyssal Battlefield presented a valuable opportunity for training. It would be a perfect chance to vent his rage and hone his skills against Abyssal Demons.

‘With a bit of luck, I might even ‘farm’ an SSR—Pah! What SSR? This wasn’t Onmyoji! Perhaps I’d find some good items, like S-grade Moonlight—Pah! What Moonlight? This wasn’t Honkai! Maybe I could acquire an S-grade Dark Gem to evolve my Dark God Mecha. Ideally, I’d also get a Starfall Stigma to repair the Dark God’s crippled system and upgrade it.’ Such were Bailuan’s thoughts…

Meanwhile, Ye Qi returned to Cangnan Academy alone. Ruolin followed closely behind her, carrying Michele as they left the Cangnan Realm.

Before departing, Ye Qi revisited the spot where Su Han had died and sent a message: [In a while, I will go to the Starfall Abyss to avenge you and kill Bailuan!]

On the continent of Aelta, lay the Undead Realm.

The Undead Realm knew no sunshine or moonlight. It was perpetually shrouded in a dim, murky twilight. In the gloomy swamps, corrosive liquids bubbled, emitting thick, swirling smoke. Wafts of putrid stench drove even wild beasts to keep their distance.

Within the black, rotting mud, besides decaying roots and leaves, numerous dark gray skeletons were deeply embedded. So close to decay were they, it was impossible to discern if they were human remains.

Towering trees, though not densely packed, boasted luxuriant canopies that completely blanketed the area. This rendered the swamp eerie and perpetually dark. The mud itself harbored an exceptionally heavy yin energy, and a chilling, deathly aura subtly permeated the air.

As night fell, the dim swamp grew even darker. Nearby, a pond veiled in ghostly mist occasionally echoed with terrifying splashes. It seemed as though some creature was being dragged into its unfathomable depths.

A creature resembling a mummy, over four meters tall and wrapped entirely in bandages, had three ghastly green ghost flames flickering around its back. Wielding a bone spike over three meters long, it continuously stirred the pond, splashing water intermittently.

With each swing of the bone spike, hordes of skeletal warriors were shattered into fragments of bone. Their orange-red soul fires flickered in the night.

These faint soul fires were of no use to the Mummy Lord. However, for weaker zombie warriors, they were prime nourishment, crucial for evolution! Many zombie warriors were already stirring, yet none dared to act, suppressed by the Mummy Lord’s oppressive aura of death.

With a roar, the skeletal warriors and zombie warriors receded like a tide. A soul voice boomed, “Osas, this is my territory!”

The Mummy Lord Osas hoisted the bone spike onto his shoulder. His soul fire flickered ceaselessly as he declared, “Moro, submit to me, or be devoured willingly! Choose one!”

“Hahahahaha, do you truly believe you can defeat me?”

The Mummy Lord Osas remained silent. He charged forward, bone spike in hand. Churning water splashed loudly, and putrid mud flew everywhere.

The Rotten Angel Moro, unwilling to show weakness, lunged towards the Mummy Lord. The single, colossal rotten wing on his back stirred up a fierce gale, so powerful it uprooted towering trees and sent leaves scattering.

Bone spike clashed with bone sword, their violent collision sending specks of bone flying. Even faint blue sparks, born of friction, were visible.

Moro was no match. The rotten wing on his back was pierced by Osas’s bone spike, leaving a gaping hole. Enduring the pain, he swung his bone sword, striking Osas’s left arm and severing it at the shoulder.

The Mummy Lord roared furiously, an endless plume of green mist billowing from his form. Confronted by the corrosive corpse poison, the Rotten Angel flapped his wings to dispel it, simultaneously emitting a defiant black mist that spread towards his opponent.

At that moment, an Evil Knight, wreathed in black malevolent energy, galloped towards the duo atop a Blazing Steed. The Blazing Steed was constructed entirely from pristine white skeletal remains. As for why it was called a Blazing Steed? It was because its body burned and swirled with deep blue flames, emanating a bone-chilling cold.

The Blazing Steed possessed extreme mobility. Thus, in an instant, the Evil Knight arrived between the Mummy Lord and the Rotten Angel.

“Hm? Just a little fourth-tier fellow?” Osas wondered aloud. “Has it come here to seek death?”

“Likely hoping to profit from our conflict!” Moro replied.

Neither combatant ceased their exchange; they continued their fierce struggle. As both were Undead Emissaries of the sixth bloodline tier, how could they fear a mere fourth-tier Evil Knight? Even gravely wounded, they would be more than enough to handle it!

However, what neither of the two sixth-tier bloodline undead creatures anticipated was this: The Evil Knight possessed extraordinary talent. Though its memories had yet to return, it had already awakened its name. Consequently, its combat prowess far surpassed that of an ordinary fourth-tier undead creature.

“You had best retreat obediently, or I might just devour you later,” Moro hissed sinisterly.

“No need to leave! You can watch right here as I kill him!” Osas laughed heartily. “If I’m in a good mood afterward, I might even take you on as a subordinate!”

However, before Osas could finish speaking, the Evil Knight, already poised, put all its strength into its wrist and hurled the long spear it held. The spear’s tail arced through the air, and its tip plunged directly into Osas’s skull. The soul fire within Osas’s head flickered precariously, as if it might extinguish at any moment.

“You… you…” Moro was too stunned to speak.

“Hm?” The Evil Knight evidently could not yet speak, hence its hesitant grunt.

“You actually killed Osas!” Moro exclaimed in disbelief. Even gravely wounded, Osas, despite being on the verge of death, could still severely injure a fifth-tier undead creature. Yet, he had been impaled and killed by a single spear thrust from a mere fourth-tier Evil Knight!

Moro dared not linger a moment longer. Not only was he unsure he could defeat this Evil Knight, but he might even be killed by it. Who knew what other trump cards this terrifying individual possessed? So, he flapped his wings and hastily departed.

He did not know that the Evil Knight was currently at the end of its strength, nor did he carefully observe the Blazing Steed’s limbs already trembling weakly. Fortunately, Moro was foolish and timid; otherwise, the Evil Knight would have been slain by him long ago.

Once Moro was far away, the Blazing Steed could no longer hold on. It let out a mournful cry and collapsed exhausted onto the ground, while the Evil Knight upon its back was equally fatigued. After all, its all-out strike had been expended on Osas. In truth, it had gambled, hoping that the timid Moro, upon witnessing its strength, would not dare to attack. Indeed, its feigned power had worked, scaring Moro away.

The Evil Knight, dragging its weary body, limped to Osas’s side. With a forceful inhale, it drew the soul fire from within Osas’s skull. The pale blue flame instantly shot into the Evil Knight’s nasal cavity, merging with the soul fire in its own head.

After the complete absorption, a terrifying aura of destruction surged from the Evil Knight, sweeping in all directions. Its black armor became even more lustrous, and the soul fire within its skull grew stronger and brighter, no longer dim. At this moment, this Evil Knight officially crossed into the ranks of five-tier undead creatures.

“My name is—Izaloth!” the Evil Knight chuckled, a soul voice echoing as its lips curled into a smile.

“I… will rise in this world!”

Her soul message carried a familiar scent… like the essence of a dragon…

A powerful soul voice surged and flowed across the wilderness.

The Blazing Steed beside her also devoured the Mummy Lord Osas’s corpse, its swirling deep blue flames now showing a tendency to turn purple.

Izaloth pulled the pristine white long (bone) spear from Osas’s skull, then mounted her warhorse. With one hand raised to the sky and the other clutching the war spear, she pointed it towards the direction Moro had fled: “Chase!”

The Blazing Steed neighed and galloped off in pursuit.