"What did you say?"
Inside the main camp of the Sun Moon Empire army, the assembled experts burst into an uproar the moment they learned that "Zhongli Wu" intended to leave.
Xu Tianyuan was the first to step forward, wanting to reject the idea outright.
Because if "Zhongli Wu" left and Du Busi found out, Du Busi would undoubtedly pay any price to annihilate the Sun Moon Empire army currently stationed along the Mingdou Mountain Range border.
So "Zhongli Wu" could not leave!
However, whether a Limit Douluo decided to stay or leave was not something an Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion commander could casually change with a few words.
Before leaving, however, "Zhongli Wu" did state his reason for departing, while also explaining that his departure didn't mean he wouldn't return.
"I will leave the Holy Spirit Cult's combat forces here to help the Empire fend off the Star Luo army. My departure right now is simply to find reinforcements."
"After all, Di Tian will return sooner or later. I have no confidence that I can fight both Di Tian and Du Busi all by myself."
If it really came to that... it would be a guaranteed death!
The moment the name "Di Tian" was spoken, the tent fell into absolute silence. There was no helping it; the pressure was genuinely mountainous!
After the silence, Ye Yulin spoke up: "Is 'Holy Lord Zhongli' planning to ask 'Elder Ye' to take action and assist us?"
"Not quite." "Zhongli Wu" said without changing his expression: "To deal with soul beasts, it's only natural to invite the existence of a fellow soul beast. After I leave, I will leave behind some methods to create the illusion that I am still in the camp for Du Busi. Of course, this can only be maintained for three days at most. And I promise to return within three days."
...
Whether it was at the edge of the continent or deep beneath the sea, there seemed to be an abyss forever shrouded in darkness.
At the bottom of this place, a nauseating stench of rot permeated the air, as if it were the gathering ground for all the evil and filth in the world.
Clad in a black robe, "Zhongli Wu" had somehow left the Mingdou Mountain Range, his figure flitting like a phantom through this eerie land. A viscous blood mist churned within the abyss. Every step he took sank into dark-red moss, kicking up faint wisps of phosphorus fire when his feet landed, and treading on the remains produced a bone-chilling crunch.
In this abyss hidden deep within the darkness, the surrounding air seemed frozen—bitterly cold and fraught with a sense of oppression. A thick fog permeated the abyss, occasionally flashing with bizarre lights that evoked an unnatural feeling in one's heart.
Finally, "Zhongli Wu" arrived at the core region of the abyss. A massive altar appeared before his eyes. This altar exuded an ancient and evil aura, as if bearing the sins of endless ages. The altar was constructed from massive black stones, carved with twisted runes that flickered with a gloomy, cold light, as if whispering endless grievances.
Eight spire-like soul tools stood erected around the altar. These soul tools were ten meters tall, their surfaces covered with mysterious patterns. They emitted a cold light that flickered unsteadily, intertwining with the surrounding darkness to create a dreamlike yet terrifying atmosphere. The shadows they cast were like the fangs of a giant beast, slicing the altar into fragments.
Howls of ghosts and wolves constantly echoed from within these eight soul tool pillars, as if countless tormented souls were imprisoned within. Their wails reverberated throughout the entire abyss, making one's blood run cold.
Around the altar flowed blood resembling magma. This blood was viscous and boiling, giving off a pungent, bloody stench. The blood formed winding streams on the ground, slowly flowing into the grooves of the altar and connecting with the spire-like soul tools, emitting a sickening glug-glug.
At this moment, the Demon Empress sat cross-legged gracefully atop the massive altar, like a sovereign of the darkness. She wore a long robe interwoven with blood-red and dark-purple hues, embroidered with mysterious patterns. As she breathed, these patterns seemed to come alive, squirming slightly. The eyes she opened were deep and icy, the faint purple light flashing within them seemingly capable of piercing the human heart.
The Demon Empress seemed completely unaware of "Zhongli Wu"'s arrival at this moment. She didn't greet him, merely focusing entirely on her own tasks.
She slightly raised her right hand, and the magma-like blood pools around the altar suddenly boiled. Wisps of white mist emerged from the viscous blood like countless pale arms. In the next instant, they retreated back into the blood pool, bringing up a jade-white skeleton and presenting it upon the altar.
Although weathered by time, the skeleton's former beauty had long withered away. But judging solely from the information conveyed by these bones, one could tell that the owner of this skeleton had absolutely been a great beauty in life!
Surrounding the skeleton were scattered fragments that looked like gold but weren't gold, and looked like jade but weren't jade. These fragments varied in shape, resembling the remnants of armor. They appeared rust-spotted, yet emitted a faint glow. Though this light was extremely weak, it was exceptionally conspicuous in this dark abyss.
Seeing the skeleton beside the Demon Empress, "Zhongli Wu" rapidly searched through the relevant memories belonging to the original Zhongli Wu in his mind. Filled with doubts, he couldn't help but ask, "Wasn't this corpse already devoured by you? How is it still here?"
"Oh, Holy Lord Zhongli has arrived." As if she had only just noticed "Zhongli Wu"'s presence, the Demon Empress's eyes remained as placid as an ancient well.
She slowly stood up at this moment and descended from the altar with elegant yet bizarre steps. Each step landed in the blood, producing a squish-squish sound.
"After I devoured this skeleton, it wasn't digested. Instead, it was kept inside my body. After all, the skeleton of a deceased deity must serve some purpose, rather than just letting me feel a trace of divinity after swallowing it. That wouldn't do." The Demon Empress walked up to "Zhongli Wu" and stopped, her tone icy.
"I plan to borrow this skeleton of Bibi Dong and the fragments of her Divine Armor, combined with these vengeful spirits and blood, as well as the power from the Holy Emperor, to take my strength to the next level, and at the same time lay the foundation to become a god... (And in the end, I will have my revenge.)" The light of ambition flickered in the Demon Empress's eyes, alongside hatred.
However, she did not voice that final sentence.
"Zhongli Wu" didn't pay much mind to the Demon Empress's words. He merely swept his gaze over the eight soul tool pillars howling with vengeful spirits and the blood pool around the altar that had nearly become a blood lake, asking a question.
"You feel that what you've accumulated still isn't enough?"
"Is it enough?" The response he got was a rhetorical question from the Demon Empress. And that single question left "Zhongli Wu" speechless.
If it truly were enough, he wouldn't have needed to come find her. Di Tian's strength was simply overpowered in this era!
A fleeting glance from the Demon Empress went unnoticed by him.
In truth, the reason she was utilizing Bibi Dong's skeleton like this, aside from the reasons stated above, was that the power she currently used all came from the Holy Emperor behind the Holy Spirit Cult—that ultimate mastermind in the shadows. Although she was currently in a cooperative relationship with the Holy Emperor, no one knew if they would turn against each other in the future. When that time came...
If she borrowed too much of the Holy Emperor's power now, she, the dignified Demon Empress, might end up being manipulated by him later. It was best to be cautious about such matters. The Divine Realm still existed, and the Sea God was still around; she had to maintain her rationality! Otherwise, one wrong step would lead to endless mistakes. When the time came, instead of successfully getting her revenge, she might just end up dragging herself and her daughter to their doom. If that happened, how would she face her child's father in the afterlife?
After a long silence, "Zhongli Wu" spoke up.
"A few days ago, I encountered Di Tian on the battlefield." Seemingly unwilling to continue on the previous topic, "Zhongli Wu" decisively changed the subject. "And at that time, I already sent 'Ye Xishui' to the Great Star Dou Forest. Your share of the benefits won't be lacking."
After going in circles, the conversation looped back. But hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in the Demon Empress's eyes.
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
"Zhongli Wu"'s expression remained normal, his tone flat.
"I've already died once."
A strange look flickered in the Demon Empress's eyes as she said, "He will kill you a second time, and he will also completely wipe out the Holy Spirit Cult."
"I know." "Zhongli Wu" nodded, as if it had nothing to do with him.
And the fact of the matter seemed to be exactly that.
"It doesn't matter how many of those Holy Spirit Cult bastards die. As long as they are useful, I can continue to drag them along. Furthermore, as long as our goal is achieved, what does it matter even if they all die?"
On this point, the Demon Empress agreed with both hands. What did it matter to her how many humans died? The more, the better! The stronger the ones who died, the better!
However... "Speak, what did you come here to find me for?"
"To see how much your strength has broken through." It had to be said, the Demon Empress's progress was quite satisfying to "Zhongli Wu".
Although she still hadn't reached Di Tian's level, compared to before... if she was previously just a sea, then she was now an ocean.
Afterward, "Zhongli Wu" briefed the Demon Empress on the current war situation. But she wasn't interested in these matters.
"Zhongli Wu" then cut straight to the point: "You need to break through as quickly as possible, advancing as much as you can. Once you're done, you will station yourself in the Sun Moon Empire to prevent Di Tian from taking action. Di Tian's strength is unfathomable; if he makes a move, it will very likely shatter the balance of power between the two sides. What we need to do is ignite the sparks of war and let the flames of conflict scorch the entire continent. Moreover, we must ensure this war cannot be stopped for a long time, keeping it in a state of protracted warfare. Only in this way does it serve our interests. You should understand the stakes involved, yes?"
"You don't need to tell me that." The Demon Empress flipped her palm, and a fragment of the Divine Armor appeared in her hand. "I am about to undergo the heavenly tribulation for the 700,000-year mark. Once I leave here, I will first go cause some trouble for certain people, and then I will head to the Sun Moon Empire. I have this all planned out."
Hearing this, "Zhongli Wu"'s brows furrowed slightly. Cause trouble? Cause trouble for whom?
"Do not create unnecessary complications."
"I'm creating complications!? Heh—" The Demon Empress let out a cold sneer. "Those bastards of the Sea God's family have been constantly causing trouble for our Deep Sea Devil Whale clan. If I don't deal with them first, these annoying pests will eventually come ashore!"
The Sea God's family!? Hearing this, "Zhongli Wu"'s heart jolted! No wonder Lord Holy Emperor had reminded them back then. This involved a true deity.
"Do not create unnecessary complications!" Thus, "Zhongli Wu" urged her again. However, though it was called "urging," it was incredibly stiff. It gave off the feeling... of an order.
And this naturally provoked the Demon Empress's dissatisfaction. Her eyes narrowed, and a cold light burst forth. "What do you mean!?"
"Zhongli Wu" wasn't intimidated in the slightest, refusing to yield. "I'll say it again: don't forget our objective! Otherwise, our cooperation ends here. And don't forget, back then, who was the one begging whom for this cooperation?!"
It had to be said, this threat... worked! A surge of anger rose in the Demon Empress's heart, but she ultimately agreed. However, "Zhongli Wu" also made a concession to her: as long as she didn't kill the Grand Elder of the Sea God's family, she was free to do whatever else she wanted.
After all, frankly speaking, regarding a deity's worshippers... aside from the Grand Elder, the rest weren't important.
This also provoked a cold laugh in the Demon Empress's heart, as she realized that they were not on the same path. It looked like a cooperation, but in reality, it was merely mutual exploitation.
However, "Zhongli Wu" didn't care about any of this. To be precise, there was no need to care.
"What stage are you at right now?" What he was asking about was the Demon Empress breaking through the 700,000-year bottleneck, reaching the level of an Evil Emperor in terms of cultivation years. And then, with the Lord's power added to that...
The Demon Empress glanced at the arrangements around the altar and said, "It won't take long. I just need to fuse these powers together. However, during this process, I must ensure I won't be disturbed by the outside world. That is the reason I chose to do this in this abyss. After all, this place isn't easily discovered by those guys."
"Alright." "Zhongli Wu" took a deep look at the Demon Empress and said, "In that case, be careful. I cannot stay away from the Mingdou Mountain Range for too long; otherwise, if Du Busi discovers I'm missing, that guy will pay any price to crush the Sun Moon army."
After giving his final instructions, he turned and left. The Demon Empress, meanwhile, threw herself entirely into the task.
She sat cross-legged on the altar, using the dark energy from the Holy Emperor as the core, continuously adjusting and fusing the power of the Rakshasa skeleton, the Divine Armor fragments, the vengeful spirits, and the blood.
As time passed, the Demon Empress entered the critical moment. A massive black vortex formed around her body, sweeping all the power into it. Dazzling lights flashed intermittently within the vortex, accompanied by deafening roars.
Suddenly, the eight soul tools began to tremble violently. The vengeful spirits inside seemed to grow even more restless. The light on the soul tools flickered madly; the gloomy cold light instantly became blazing and piercing, as if trying to break free from the restraints of the soul tools.
At this moment, the vengeful spirits and blood converged into the black vortex. Adorned by the dark energy, the residual divinity within the Rakshasa skeleton was stimulated, causing the Divine Armor fragments to emit wave after wave of resonance. They formed a storm that enveloped the Demon Empress's current body, flying around one by one before seamlessly fusing into place.
A blinding light erupted from the vortex, illuminating the entire abyss. The Demon Empress's figure flickered within the light, her aura becoming incredibly powerful. At this moment, her energy seemed material, forming a suit of armor over her body. Those armor fragments that had been dancing around her began to converge toward her energy armor, forming a complete set of battle armor.
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