The Abyss’s Early Strike

“How many is this now?” Youlan’s hand, gripping her long spear, trembled slightly as she gazed with a grim expression at the puddle of black matter on the ground. She had truly never imagined that so many Abyss cultists could have infiltrated the Imperial Capital.

What exactly was Ceres doing?

“Ten? Or twenty. I’ve lost count.” Sophia’s face was equally grave, the transparent disk in her hand constantly flickering with black light. This sheer number was something her clone alone could not possibly handle.

Damn it… why did such a massive incident have to occur in the north at this precise moment? Sophia was truly spread too thin.

“Youlan, you’re here in your true form, aren’t you?” Sophia asked. If Youlan had arrived in her true form, then this incident could be resolved without alarming the ordinary citizens.

“Of course.” Youlan nodded. She could no longer manifest such clones.

“How long will it take for you to reclaim your divine seat?”

“I know what you’re thinking, but there isn’t enough time.” Youlan, of course, understood Sophia’s meaning; once she reclaimed her divine seat, these Abyss cultists would be utterly powerless. However, reclaiming a divine seat was hardly easy. She had fallen to the mortal realm nearly ten millennia ago, and the notion of reforging her divinity in such a short time was unthinkable.

“But… with just the two of us, we simply can’t clear them all out.” Sophia felt a profound sense of powerlessness. If it were merely about purging the Abyss-tainted individuals from the city, it would be remarkably simple. The difficulty lay in their inability to damage the city itself; otherwise, their efforts would be rendered meaningless. Moreover, they could not allow ordinary people to come into contact with these abominations. Their fragile minds simply could not withstand gazing directly into that endless darkness.

“Let’s find Lotia. I originally didn’t want to trouble her, but now, it’s the only option left.” Finally, Sophia sighed, conceding that this was their last resort.

****

At this very moment, Lotia—or rather, Ziyao—was taking a nap.

Indeed, a nap.

Ziyao hadn’t originally intended to sleep, but she couldn’t resist Aiya’s pitiful gaze. In the end, she accompanied Aiya to the Princess’s bedroom in the palace. Holding the soft, fragrant little girl, Ziyao, who had been quite awake, unexpectedly felt a wave of drowsiness. Since she was already in bed, a nap wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Huff…

****

“My Lord, our hidden operatives are being rapidly eliminated.” A man in black robes knelt on the ground, his voice trembling. This was the darkest corner of the Imperial Capital, and the best hiding place for them—the enemies of order.

“Hmph! I expected as much. Where are those fellows?” A figure in blood-red robes spoke from the head of the chamber.

“The demonic seeds have been planted. The blood sacrifice can begin the moment the order is given.”

The blood-robed figure let out a cold snort. “Though that fool Reno had his own agenda, I must admit he provided us with significant assistance. It’s a pity he refused to embrace our Lord.”

“Quite right. These imbeciles simply fail to grasp the greatness of the Lord we serve. Those false gods usurped our Lord’s authority; we must reclaim everything He lost for Him!”

“Just wait. One day, our Lord will return from the Abyss…”

Illusory voices echoed through the empty room, coating this dark place with an incomparably eerie aura.

“My Lord, how should we respond? If this continues, the ritual we’ve prepared will be impossible to complete.”

“Can’t wait any longer? Then we won’t!” The blood-robed figure waved a hand. “Though it’s not the most perfect timing, the sacrifices are sufficient. Issue my command: begin the ritual!”

****

“What? Now, of all times?” Sophia’s pupils contracted as she stared at the colossal vortex of black energy, invisible to the naked eye. This was a full half-day earlier than she had anticipated.

Had they been driven to desperation?

However, this was also good; at least the scale would be much smaller. Sophia’s body transformed into a streak of green light, soaring into the sky. Accompanying her actions, the crystal magic formations, already embedded throughout the Imperial Capital, simultaneously emitted a dazzling light.

“Wind God Domain.”

A colossal transparent barrier instantly unfolded, severing the space of the Imperial Capital before any ordinary person could even realize it.

“Mirror World.”

The power of a god firmly enveloped the black vortex. In merely an instant, the black vortex was sealed within the Mirror World. However, the matter was not yet concluded. If the energy source of the black vortex was not dealt with, then within a few hours, the vortex would break through the Mirror World. At that point, Sophia would have no choice but to completely erase the entire Imperial Capital from the world. Abyssal creatures must never set foot on the territory of order; this was a consensus among the gods.

“Youlan, the rest is up to you!” Deploying the Mirror World had exhausted all the energy within this clone’s body. Sophia was now unable to fight.

“Don’t worry, leave the rest to me.” Youlan tightened her grip on her long spear and charged towards the densest part of the black mist.

Of course, the Imperial Capital’s defense forces were not idle. While they hadn’t detected the black vortex, they realized a major incident was unfolding the moment the Mirror World expanded.

“The aura of the Abyss, no less?” The commander of the Imperial Capital’s city guards, a Martial Saint renowned for many years, frowned. Those Abyss cultists dared to do such a thing in the Imperial Capital. Unforgivable!

“Issue my command: all city guards are to mobilize, maintain order in their respective regions, and be ready for an attack by Abyss cultists.”

Yet, his army would be of no use in battling those corrupted beings. His troops were not like the most elite units, which possessed their own military might and could exert power beyond that of a Sage under their general’s guidance. Therefore, he could only instruct his subordinates to maintain public order throughout the Imperial Capital.

By this time, several powerful individuals had already reacted, rushing towards the source of the black mist. They had heard of the Abyss. If those human scum, the Abyss cultists, were to summon Abyssal creatures in the Imperial Capital, the city would essentially be ruined. Although the black vortex had been sealed by that unknown expert, if the energy source wasn’t cut off, then no one could guarantee when the vortex would break through the seal.

“Ah! Murder!”

“Who are you people?”

Chaos erupted. The black-robed cultists drew the weapons hidden beneath their cloaks, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism. They intended to offer the most delectable sacrifices for their Lord’s arrival. In an instant, rivers of blood flowed.

The residents of the Imperial Capital were utterly unprepared for this sudden assault. In a flash, the number of citizens killed by the black-clad figures reached four digits. However, after the initial confusion, the more capable residents regained their composure. They seized whatever weapons were at hand and launched a counterattack. Despite their varied strengths and disorganized coordination, they managed to hold out until the city guards arrived.

The great battle had begun.