"The Dark Abyss has stopped moving," Zhang Kong said with a stern expression as he looked above the altar.
Zhang Kong was Plan B of the mysterious masked man—sent into the Dark Abyss to watch over the younger generation and prevent the awakening of the Ancient Emperor.
After Damon began cultivating, he entered the altar and was instantly recognized by Zhang Xiaohou and Mo Fan, who were overjoyed to see him again.
"…The Abyss has stopped moving, but what is he doing? It's already noon," Su Xiaoluo wondered as she and Liu Ru rested nearby, watching Damon with curiosity.
"I—I don't know… but don't you feel that something about him is changing?" Liu Ru said uneasily.
As a creature of darkness, she could perceive changes in Black Magic far more keenly than anyone else. Even though Damon's aura was concealed, Liu Ru subconsciously felt danger radiating from his body—a threat that was increasing with every passing second.
"Anyway, what do we do now?" Mo Fan asked, glancing around. "The Dark Abyss has stopped, the Emperor is sealed… our mission is over, right?"
"Now what? How do we get out of here?" Mo Fan's words snapped everyone back to reality.
"Uh… about that." Even Zhang Kong had no idea. They had entered the Dark Abyss—but how were they supposed to leave?
The question hung heavily in the air as everyone contemplated their uncertain survival.
Boom!
A massive burst of light suddenly engulfed the altar. A light-blue radiance flooded the surroundings as a towering pillar of blue light shot straight into the sky.
Everyone instinctively turned around, barely managing to shield their eyes. The source of the phenomenon was the throne—Damon was seated upon it.
All at once, the air inside the altar grew unbearably heavy.
Everyone froze.
Their hearts pounded wildly as primal fear seized their bodies. Their instincts screamed danger, and their legs gave out as they collapsed to their knees, submitting unconsciously to an unfathomable presence.
Heads bowed low, the group didn't even dare to breathe.
The aura of a Forbidden Mage—the realm believed to be the pinnacle of humanity—stood before them in living form.
The pressure released made their bodies react instinctively, forcing submission before a higher existence.
"W-what is that…?" Mo Fan swallowed hard as he looked up at the throne.
Damon sat cross-legged, his blue eyes slowly opening—gleaming with a power Mo Fan had never seen before.
The light receded. The pressure of the Forbidden Mage vanished.
In stunned silence, the group watched as Damon rose from the blood throne, floating into the air. He said nothing as his gaze swept over them, leaving terror in its wake.
"Leave."
Damon's voice was quiet.
The moment the word left his lips, space itself twisted. The kneeling group vanished from the altar, leaving Damon alone within the vast white palace.
With a single thought, a projection of the outside world appeared before him. Undead flooded the city as Imperial Mages and Super Mages held the front lines, supported by the army.
"They're exhausted," Damon murmured.
Days of relentless combat against the undead calamity had drained them—body, spirit, and resources alike.
"Let's end this."
The scenery shifted. Damon now stood alone above the clouds, outside the Dark Abyss.
Hoo…
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The power of the Undead Element within him surged forth, bathing his body in blue light. Standing beneath the sun, Damon gazed at the undead—still immune to sunlight under the effects of the Vatican's rain.
Stop.
The thought alone was enough.
Every undead surrounding Xi'an froze in place.
Billions of dark creatures stood motionless, awaiting his command.
Servants. Warriors. Commanders. Monarchs.
All were bound to his will.
"Retreat."
At his order, countless silver vortexes formed beneath the undead—each larger than the last—slowly swallowing them whole.
Damon now held complete control over the Dark Abyss and the White Palace. Knowledge of their functions, secrets, and authority was instinctively etched into his mind.
The Dark Abyss—once the base of the Undead Emperor—housed countless monarchs and terrifying undead creations of Ying Zheng. It contained immeasurable treasures: mountains of gold, priceless resources capable of making Forbidden Mages fight to the death, rare spirits, and libraries overflowing with mystical knowledge.
No nation in the modern era could rival its wealth.
Within minutes, the billions of undead that had starved for human flesh vanished without a trace into the silver vortexes.
As the last of them disappeared, Damon raised his hand toward the motionless Dark Abyss.
Disappear.
The black zone of death vanished from the face of the earth.
"W-what happened?!" "They're gone! They're gone!" "The undead are gone!" "God bless Xi'an! We won!" "WE WON!"
Cheers erupted across the land of the living as the calamity of the dead finally ended—unaware that a far more dangerous existence had just been born in human form.
***
Damon descended into Xi'an, where he was greeted by the city's authorities, along with Mo Fan and the others.
Han Ji questioned Damon about what had truly happened and how he had accomplished such a feat.
"The Ancient Emperor's battle robe was merely a shell that contained his undead power," Damon explained calmly. "I destroyed it and inherited the Undead Element—along with Forbidden Mage cultivation in that element."
"Don't worry. All undead have been eliminated, and the Dark Abyss will never appear in this world again."
He crafted his explanation carefully—concealing the truth of his power while revealing just enough to sound plausible.
Though not entirely convinced, Han Ji and the others accepted his explanation.
Xi'an hailed Damon as a hero. Honors were bestowed upon him, which he accepted—on the condition that his cultivation level not be disclosed to the world.
His request was granted.
As the authorities dealt with the aftermath of the disaster, Damon stood alone atop the Clock Tower, his perception stretching outward as he gazed at the sun.
"There's still one thing left…" he muttered.
Others might have forgotten.
But Damon had not.
The woman who orchestrated this chaos was still out there