The Abyssal Demon God’s Descent

Underground World Arc, Part Three.

While the Demon Dragon’s defenses weren’t as monstrous as those of an Ancient Dragon, they were still formidable and not to be underestimated. Yet, Golden Hunter had managed to instantly pierce Blackbelly’s armor, directly tearing out his entire heart—a feat that astonished everyone.

“Is atavism truly that terrifying?” Even Su Han found herself wide-eyed with shock.

“It must be a secret art that expends vital blood essence, combining with battle qi to strike directly at the heart of the enemy,” Luo Shang murmured, rubbing his eyes. “Alright, the show’s over. Time to get down to business!”

“Wait, something’s wrong!” A terrifying premonition suddenly spread through Su Han’s heart. Before she could even react, a powerful oppressive aura instantly descended upon Dragon City.

The sky ripped open with a gaping tear, and a vortex of inky black thunderclouds churned like an abyss, rippling with lightning.

“That’s… could Golden Hunter have inherited the legacy of an Abyssal Demon God? But no, that’s not right; this isn’t the aura of a legacy.” Su Han, who had some dealings with Abyssal Demons, was utterly bewildered at this moment.

Now, demonic energy coiled around Golden Hunter, and the characteristics of a demon became increasingly pronounced. First, devilish fleshy wings unfurled from his back, followed by a pair of grotesque, curved horns emerging from his head. Clearly, Golden Hunter had been possessed.

It was said that sacrificing one’s soul to a legendary Abyssal Demon God would grant immense power. However, having one’s body occupied was akin to being possessed; at this moment, Golden Hunter seemed to be a true Abyssal Demon God descended in person.

“Hahahahaha, I, the Second Generation Abyssal Demon God, after expending so much effort, can finally descend!” Golden Hunter lifted his lizard-like tail, dramatically flicking it before soaring into the air, laughing wildly and unrestrained. “Submit, you lowly ants! This land will eventually fall under the dominion of our Abyssal race!”

It had to be said that these Abyssal Demons had truly put considerable thought into invading the Aelta Continent. They lured those with wavering resolve, promising lavish rewards, only to ultimately replace them, taking their greed as payment.

Demonic energy billowed and steamed around Golden Hunter. He seized a Demon Dragon with his left hand, crushing it directly with sheer physical force, then threw his head back and roared, drinking its blood with relish.

“Delicious, truly a delicacy! My little ones in the Abyss have grown tired of the same old taste; it’s time for a change!” The poor Demon Dragon, not only its blood but even its flesh, was chewed and swallowed by the possessed Golden Hunter.

Luo Shang touched his nose, seemingly disgusted by the scent of blood, and pulled Su Han away from the possessed Golden Hunter. “This isn’t something we can provoke. Although a Mythical realm expert crossing into this domain will have their strength reduced to that of a Legend, or even less than peak, their mastery of the rules is far beyond what a normal peak Legend can compare to.” He continued, “From my perspective, this creature’s appearance should be left for the Old Dragon King to handle!”

Su Han nodded thoughtfully. Qianzhe Ying, naturally, deferred to Su Han and Luo Shang’s judgment. The three of them took advantage of the chaos, continuing to stealthily make their way towards the Dragon Palace.

Just as Su Han was about to arrive, she discovered that Golden Hunter had also cut a bloody path straight to the Dragon Palace, even getting there a step ahead. The inhabitants of Dragon City suffered heavy casualties; none could resist. This was, undoubtedly, the sheer force of overwhelming power.

Luo Shang had clearly intended to storm the Dragon Palace directly. However, to their surprise, Golden Hunter flew straight through the main entrance. In the span of just over ten breaths, a figure was ejected from within the Dragon Palace. Upon closer inspection, this person was spewing blood uncontrollably, and it was not Golden Hunter.

It was unclear which Dragon General, lying wounded on the ground, gasped “First Prince” before his life force extinguished.

“Golden Hunter, you have betrayed our Dragon Race! Father Emperor will surely not forgive you!” The First Prince clutched his chest, coughing incessantly, clearly struggling for breath.

“Hahahahaha, how utterly laughable! You, a branch of the Demon Dragon race, dare to call yourselves part of the Dragon Race? Forget you Demon Dragons; even the true Dragon Race can be slaughtered by my Abyssal kin!” Golden Hunter strode forward, covering the distance to the First Prince in a few steps. He seized his head, licked his lips, and scoffed, “By the way, have you mistaken me for someone else? I am not that half-brother of yours. I am the great Abyssal Demon God, hahahaha!”

The rift in the sky had already healed, yet the grating, unrestrained laughter echoed throughout Dragon City.

“Go, go notify Father Emperor!” These were the First Prince’s final words as he drew his last breath, yet they were directed towards Su Han.

Meanwhile, Su Han didn’t need any instructions from the First Prince. She already knew that events had far surpassed her expectations. In this situation, if they didn’t rouse the Dragon King from his seclusion, was she supposed to fight that Abyssal Demon God herself?

Within the colossal palace, countless gemstones hung from the ceiling, emitting soft, gentle halos. In stark contrast to the clamor outside, an extraordinary silence reigned here.

No fluctuations of spell formations or magic were detected, save for the ruins near the entrance plaque. The Dragon Palace was quite elegant, indeed. Even Su Han found herself relaxing, marveling at the Demon Dragons’ opulent taste.

Unlike human imperial palaces, the Dragon Palace lacked excessive twists and turns. Instead, it was straightforward, leading directly to the Dragon Throne within the main hall without obstruction. However, the throne itself was empty, with only a magic staff, inlaid with a yellow gemstone, lying beneath it.

Qianzhe Ying, overcome with curiosity, picked it up. Suddenly, a beam of light and shadow burst forth from the gem embedded in the staff. Startled, she immediately let go, and the magic staff clattered to the ground, rolling twice. An intense soul fluctuation instantly spread outwards.

A skeletal dragon, its body comprised of white bones, appeared. Within its skull, a flickering green soul fire glowed erratically, as if it might extinguish with a mere breath of wind.

Yet, judging by the oppressive aura emanating from the soul fire, this soul imprint had belonged to at least a peak Legend in its lifetime, proving no weaker, and perhaps even stronger, than Luo Shang standing nearby.

“So this is the Dragon King? Has it simply died of old age in this form?” Resisting the oppressive aura, Su Han involuntarily took two steps back.

“It has been over two hundred and seventy years since my Demon Dragon race went into seclusion in this underground world,” the imprint slowly began to speak. However, because the communication was transmitted directly to their minds by the soul fire, it sounded somewhat disjointed.

“My life force was nearly depleted from a previous war, so I had no choice but to attempt a breakthrough. Yet, my potential was limited; I could only abandon my physical body and survive as an undead creature!”

“But an accident occurred during my transformation into an undead being. A seal from a certain High Elf lord suddenly leaked a strange substance, causing me to fail at the last hurdle… I was unwilling to accept it. Fortunately, while this bizarre substance prevented me from completing my undead transformation, it also allowed my power to surge once more and extended my life by thirty years.”

“During these thirty years, I used the excuse of seclusion to settle my Demon Dragon race, then began to peacefully pass away. However, the curse left by that strange power was to enslave my soul after death, forcing me to act once before returning to the heavens and earth. This was all a trap… I was merely a pawn…” Before the words could finish, the imprint had already dissolved into a phantom and vanished.

“It seems someone orchestrated today’s events, the descent of the Abyssal Demon God, and the utilization of the Old Dragon King’s remaining power?” Su Han looked at the staff, now shattered from the complete depletion of its energy, feeling a pang of regret. She picked up a fragment, gently caressing it. “What a pity for such a fine treasure!”

“This entire scheme was laid out a millennium ago, originating from the Dark Era. Ye Yuan was one of the witnesses to that history,” Luo Shang said, rubbing his temples with a sigh. “These matters are far too distant for us. Who knows what those old geezers are thinking? Let them contend with their own affairs; we’ll merely observe!”

“Boom~” The ground trembled violently, and the palace’s architecture swayed precariously. Su Han’s heart sank. It seemed the Abyssal Demon God had already arrived.

“Oh? So there are still some vermin sneaking around in here? Tsk, tsk, tsk!” The Abyssal Demon God chuckled malevolently. Instead of charging directly as expected, he leisurely stretched, casting a sly glance at Luo Shang.

“Humans were a rare delicacy for our demon race back then. What, are you offering yourselves up today?”

Luo Shang paid no heed to the Abyssal Demon God. Instead, he whispered into Su Han’s ear, “This should be the Thunderclap Demon God, sealed in the ninth layer of the Abyss.” With that, he took the magic staff from Su Han’s hand and hurled it at the Thunderclap Demon God.

“Roar~” The grinding sound of formation gears clattered, and demonic energy surged from the depths of the Dragon Palace. The Dragon King’s colossal phantom suddenly materialized, blocking the Thunderclap Demon God’s path.

“Begone!” A muffled dragon roar unleashed torrents of scorching dragon flames. The Thunderclap Demon God gathered the fleshy wings on his back around himself, narrowly evading the breath attack.

“A mere puppet beast, do you truly think yourself a force to be reckoned with?” The Thunderclap Demon God roared back, his aura matching, if not surpassing, the dragon’s roar. “First, I’ll deal with you, you wretched beast, then I’ll go play with them.”

The Dragon King clearly possessed no consciousness, merely retaining its battle instincts from life. The fact that it could fight the Thunderclap Demon God to a standstill was likely due to the demonic energy that had transformed its body, eliminating its pain receptors, giving it a seemingly fearless demeanor.

Moreover, the Thunderclap Demon God had only recently descended and was suppressed by the world’s rules, making it quite remarkable that he wasn’t at a disadvantage. Seeing the two locked in an evenly matched struggle, Luo Shang, far from claiming to be a gentleman, instantly summoned the Gate of the Sanctuary, aiming to seal the Thunderclap Demon God.

“Detestable aura!”

A Legendary spell, in its current state, was something the Thunderclap Demon God’s body could not withstand, especially with the divine suppression of sacred spirit elements against Abyssal Demons.

The Gate of the Sanctuary slowly approached the Thunderclap Demon God. With every step it drew nearer, his aura weakened. The Thunderclap Demon God, still unaccustomed to his new body, naturally felt immense discomfort, as if his soul was being expelled. Thus, he was forced to endure a dragon claw attack before breaking away to tear apart the Gate of the Sanctuary.

Luo Shang’s incantation, however, did not cease in the slightest. Obscure magical chants slowly emanated from him. Then, Luo Shang bellowed, “Sacred Spirit Flash!”

Like the first ray of light at the dawn of chaos, the oppressive power of sacred spirit elements descended. A gentle column of holy light illuminated the entire Dragon Palace, followed by a blinding glare that forced even Su Han to shut her eyes.

There were no terrifying fluctuations, nor did any objects turn to ruins. Instead, it was an overwhelming pressure that rose from the depths of the soul, forcefully obliterating one’s consciousness.

A mouthful of crimson blood spurted out. Golden Hunter’s body was enveloped in a saintly white mist, as if he were about to evaporate. Luo Shang, too, had expended a considerable amount of magic, a fine sheen of sweat already covering his forehead.

“I underestimated you, it seems. However, while I’ve sustained some injuries, your terrifying power of purification has utterly annihilated that crawling insect, leaving not even ash behind!”

Su Han looked in the direction indicated by the Thunderclap Demon God, only to find that the Dragon King’s imprint was truly… gone without a trace.

“Wow, what the heck…”

“I actually forgot about that detail. I suppose it saved you quite a bit of trouble, didn’t it?” Although Luo Shang had momentarily forgotten that the Old Dragon was an undead, he didn’t show much panic.

With an impassive expression, he continued, “However, I believe that even by myself, dealing with a peak Legend Demon God whose body and soul are out of sync and who is suppressed by the rules of this world, should be more than enough, wouldn’t you agree?”