Chapter 26: The Origin of the Abyss, Forging.
Jiang Xiu's bloodshot eyes flickered as he whispered to himself.
During these four years, he had once felt an extremely powerful spiritual force sweep over him. He was certain that this spiritual force transcended the mortal realm, reaching the divine level, the Divine Origin Realm.
As this spiritual force swept across the seventy-sixth floor, the entire seventy-sixth floor fell silent.
Jiang Xiu guessed that the master of this spiritual force was none other than the Spirit Emperor, the second-ranked being in the Abyss, who oversaw the Abyss Plane on behalf of the Abyss Saint Lord.
Aside from the Abyss Saint Lord, only his spiritual power had reached the divine level in the entire Abyss Plane.
Fortunately, he had sunk the Shadow Legion underground that time and kept the King's Domain deployed. Otherwise, his shadow and the Shadow Legion would have been destroyed.
Over the past four years, his shadow, constantly drawing on the energy of the Shadow Soldiers, had broken through to the Soul King realm.
If it weren't for his reluctance to hunt high-level Abyss Ants on a large scale, and the fact that higher cultivation levels required more energy, Jiang Xiu's shadow's cultivation would have been even higher.
After all, cultivating on one's own wouldn't be as fast as devouring.
And being in the Abyssal Plane, he didn't have the luxury of time to slowly develop.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
Just as Jiang Xiu pondered, a group of dark shadows in the distance were carrying a giant Abyss Ant, its arms and legs missing, towards him.
The shadow soldiers within the group were excitedly showing off to Jiang Xiu.
"Very good, very good. From now on, we'll follow these three principles,"
Jiang Xiu said with a slight nod of appreciation.
These shadow soldiers were precisely those he had carefully selected, those who retained some consciousness and could, after completing his commands, cooperate in the attack.
Jiang Xiu's three principles were precisely this: first, strike the legs to prevent escape; second, strike the head to prevent resistance; and third, strike the mouth to prevent pleas for mercy.
It wasn't that the shadow soldiers weren't striking fast enough; it was simply to allow Jiang Xiu to see clearly.
"It's your honor to follow me. No need to struggle any further."
Jiang Xiu raised his sword, severing the Abyss Ant's life. As it transformed into a ball of black light and attempted to flee, Jiang Xiu had already raised his right hand, instantly enveloping it in a dark force.
Perhaps due to the natural reversion of Abyssal creatures, and the vast difference in Jiang Xiu's cultivation, the black light still managed to struggle slightly.
But Jiang Xiu remained unfazed. On the back of his right hand, a purple-gold Ant King mark, howling heavenward, shimmered faintly. An indescribable pressure instantly descended upon the black light.
In a split second, the black light ceased its struggle, and Jiang Xiu successfully extracted a massive shadow.
"This Abyssal plane truly has a strict hierarchy,"
Jiang Xiu said softly, absorbing the energy it received. He then stroked the mark on his right hand, sighing softly.
This Ant King mark appeared four years ago, when his Shadow Legion surpassed a hundred members. After a period of research, he gradually understood its nature.
Compared to the Douluo Plane, the Abyss Plane isn't a fully realized plane; it's merely a predator within the galaxy universe.
While the 108 layers of the Abyss Plane are generally unified, each layer possesses its own Abyssal Origin, a significant portion of which resides within the kings of each race.
For example, during the Abyssal Tide, Tang Wulin slew two Abyssal Kings with his Golden Dragon Spear. After absorbing their Origin energy, the Abyssal Plane layer containing those two kings collapsed, wiping out the two major Abyssal races.
Besides the Origin within each race's Abyssal King, the remaining Origin is divided into countless smaller Origins, hidden within each Abyssal creature.
This is why every Abyssal creature can return to the Abyssal Plane after death and be continuously reforged.
After extracting the shadows of these abyssal creatures, the Shadow King also extracted their essence. Unlike the Golden Dragon Spear's direct absorption, the Shadow King transferred the essence to his shadow.
"Controlling the vast majority of the essence will allow me to control the entire Ant King Abyssal Clan. While expanding the number of Shadow Kings, I must also gradually approach the Ant King."
Jiang Xiu pondered his plan, pondering it over and over.
The Ant King possessed the most essence, perhaps even more than half. He had to capture it and transform it into his own shadow soldiers, or even legion commanders.
Only in this way could he profit without causing the collapse of this layer of the Abyss, and could he quietly control the seventy-sixth layer of the Abyss.
"Title Douluo... the grand plan has not yet succeeded. We must continue to work hard."
With a plea for encouragement, Jiang Xiu prepared to return his consciousness to his main body.
But just then, the shadow he had just retrieved, a unique memory, reappeared before him.
"This is the Abyss Dark Lotus!"
In the memory of the giant Abyss Ant, a black and white lotus floated in a deep spring. This black and white lotus emanated a strange, subtle glow, and its twenty-four petals, each distinctly black and white, were visible.
While the Abyss Plane couldn't rival the Douluo Plane, it was at least a separate dimension, and as such, it held a variety of rare treasures, including the Abyss Dark Lotus.
"Oh, it's guarded by the Ant King! I have to rob it then."
Jiang Xiu's bloodshot eyes lit up with excitement as he reviewed the entire memory.
This Abyss Ant was considered one of the Ant King's peripheral guards, having previously been assigned to guard the Abyss Dark Lotus alongside other Ant King experts.
The Ant King intended to utilize this Abyssal Dark Lotus to further his breakthrough. After all, the rankings of the 108 Abyssal Clans were not fixed, and through special combat methods, one could elevate one's own rank. A rising rank meant a stronger clan as a whole.
No king of a clan would resist such an allure, save, of course, the Spirit Emperor, who, if he desired to advance further, would likely face opposition from the Abyssal Sage Sovereign.
"Next time I come, I must find a way to capture it,"
Jiang Xiu resolved. The later his shadow reached, the more energy he would require to break through. This Abyssal Dark Lotus was perfect for him. Moreover, if the Ant King broke through, it would make it even more difficult for him to conquer the 76th floor.
Without further hesitation, Jiang Xiu gathered the Shadow Legion into the Sovereign's domain, and slowly regained consciousness.
Inside Jiang Xiu's room,
"Huh!"
Jiang Xiu slowly opened his eyes, a glint of insight flashing in his violet eyes. He slowly rose from his bed.
Now, he was tall and slender, with a handsome face. His purple eyes held a hint of nobility, and with that unique air of pride about him, he gave off the air of a dashing young man.
"Squeak!"
The door swung open.
"Jiang Xiu, you've broken through?!"
Na'er heard the door open and immediately jumped down from the wooden block, exclaiming in surprise.
"Yes, I have. Next, it's time to obtain the second soul."
Jiang Xiu looked at Na'er in front of him, a smile on his face.
"Jiang Xiu, I feel like I've been set up."
At this moment, Na'er suddenly came in front of Jiang Xiu and spoke cautiously.
"Hmm? Tell me about it."
Jiang Xiu raised his eyebrows, his eyes narrowed slightly, and said in a deep voice.
"You've already broken through to Soul Master, and I'm only level 29. We usually practice together and learn forging together, but I haven't broken through yet. Isn't this a secret setup?"
Na'er's pretty face lifted, and she said as a matter of course.
"..."
"Na'er, I don't know if you've been set up, but if you don't complete the task I assigned you yesterday, you're done."
Before Jiang Xiu could reply, a thin figure appeared behind them, followed by a faint cough.
Upon hearing this, Na'er's pretty face froze, and she slowly turned around like a machine. When she saw the person behind her, a single thought instantly filled her mind.
"It's over!"
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(End of Chapter)