In Donghai City, a banner erected on the snow emitted a silver-white shimmering light that enveloped the land within a five-kilometer radius.
This was the area Chen Luo had led his legion to mark and occupy over the past ten days.
But at this moment, a torrent of pitch-black surged forward, quickly dyeing the entire region black.
Everything within the area, from buildings to snow, was swallowed by the darkness without resistance, transforming into a flat, black plain!
The silver-white banner, facing the erosion of the darkness, resisted only briefly before being completely consumed.
And this scene was unfolding in every direction of Donghai City!
The spread of this darkness was like an unstoppable tsunami, erasing all traces of civilization in the areas it swallowed.
In its place was a lifeless, desolate plain.
The darkness spread faster and faster, and Donghai City was half-submerged in an instant.
Within the ruined safe zones, the survivors rejected by Starfire City for their crimes, the human remains that had silently perished during the past few days of disaster, were all swallowed by the darkness without any ability to resist.
This was absolute death, the end of all things, the prelude to the arrival of a true Abyssal-level existence!
At the edge of the central district, Chen Luo leaned on his pitch-black Netherbone Staff, his bare upper body occasionally crackling with overflowing magical energy.
His golden dragon eyes were fixed on the direction of the shattered white tower. After the black aura seeped out, Chen Luo was certain that the true trial was about to begin.
*Boom!*
The bone-white giant tower finally reached its limit, breaking with a deafening roar as it snapped in half.
The black aura, as if unleashed, surged skyward.
This scene was a replay of the black pillar of light from three days prior.
However, unlike then, these black auras seemed to possess life, beginning to spread across the sky.
As the Death Ground expanded, the sky also darkened!
By now, the entire Donghai City had transformed into the Death Ground.
The five hundred li of Starfire City, converted from the滨海区 (Binhai District), soon became the next target for the spread of the Death Ground.
The warning barrier five hundred li away was instantly shattered. Except for the core city protected by the defensive barrier, other areas fell within moments.
At this point, Donghai City, enveloped by the system's power, abruptly turned into a black circular area under the dawn sunlight.
Unlike the tranquility of the night, the blackness that now covered the entire city was filled with a sense of deathly stillness.
*Bang!*
A violent collision suddenly erupted outside Starfire City.
The originally semi-transparent protective barrier lit up, and the power of the Death Ground began a head-on clash with the city's barrier.
*Crack!!!*
In a short moment, clear cracks appeared on the barrier.
As everyone was thrown into disarray by the sudden deafening roar and the darkened sky, Su Xiao's voice suddenly rang out:
"Everyone, quickly grab your Zhuzhao! Light them as soon as possible!!"
As he spoke, Su Xiao grabbed several Zhuzhao from the pile beside him and quickly lit them.
The lit Zhuzhao emitted a soft white light and, in the next moment, automatically floated into the air.
As if waking from a dream, the others grabbed the Zhuzhao piled up by Su Xiao and began lighting them one after another.
In an instant, countless Zhuzhao rose from the ground, their gentle white light seemingly infusing the barrier with new strength.
The cracks began to dissipate, and the precarious barrier gradually stabilized.
After casually lighting another Zhuzhao, Hu Tao looked towards the central district with a worried expression.
As an ancient saintess who controlled light, even from thousands of miles away, Hu Tao could clearly sense a terrifying darkness descending there!
...
*Whoosh!*
The endless black mist flowed towards the sky like an inverted waterfall. Only when it was blocked by the system's barrier did it begin to spread across the entire city.
And behind this continuously gushing mist, the white tower, broken in half, seemed unable to hold on any longer, visibly fading into the black aura.
When the entire city was covered in darkness, when deathly stillness became the theme of everything,
At the very center of the pitch-black Death Ground, which had now transformed into a desolate plain, something finally descended.
...
The skill light in Chen Luo's eyes flashed rapidly.
After his Meditation technique broke through to SS-rank, each completion of Meditation would restore 5,000 mana, and his passively increased spiritual attribute had risen from 300 to 500.
With the cumulative bonuses, the time it took Chen Luo to complete a skill was no longer measured in seconds, but had even surpassed the concept of a single thought.
The improvement of his skills had never been so rapid. After the legion departed, his declining power was soaring at an unprecedented speed.
However, the more his power increased, the more intense Chen Luo's sense of crisis became!
When the inverted waterfall of darkness completely dissipated, and the entire world turned pitch-black, in the low ruins of the shattered white tower, a pair of eyes suddenly opened!
*Boom!!!*
Chen Luo, who had been observing the state of the white tower, felt as if his head had been struck by a giant hammer.
In that instant, he saw a pair of pitch-black eyes.
There was no whites, no pupils, only darkness filled with the meaning of death.
And with just a single glance, Chen Luo's spirit violently fluctuated, and a streak of bright red blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
*Whoosh!*
A gust of wind blew from the ruins of the white tower, and the residual black mist at the base of the tower completely vanished.
In this dim world, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed...
*Tap...*
*Tap..*
*Tap.*
A shadow flashed before Chen Luo's eyes, and a pair of pitch-black, deathly still eyes were already within close proximity.
*So fast!*
A thought flashed through Chen Luo's mind, and his body instinctively reacted.
The pale blue wings on his back vibrated rapidly, and Chen Luo transformed into a streak of light, flashing towards the distance of the black land.
After flashing a thousand meters in an instant, Chen Luo looked intently. Standing where he had been moments before was a figure as tall as a person.
The figure wore a pitch-black mage's robe, on which faintly appeared magical runes even more profound than Chen Luo's SS-rank skills.
But upon closer inspection, the figure draped in this magnificent robe was a long-decayed corpse!
The corpse's eyeballs were incredibly black, and below its withered face, a long white beard extended directly to its abdomen.
It was likely that this corpse had been a powerful spellcaster in life, but now, it was a terrifying monster risen from death!
This monster, simply by standing there, exuded a terrifying absolute presence that prevented anyone from looking away.
And at this moment, the belated system prompt finally sounded:
[You faced the gaze of "Great Lich - Ulquiorra" (Abyssal-level), and you have been mentally intimidated!]
The previous exchange had caused Chen Luo's spiritual consciousness sea to churn violently.
Only when the golden dragon eyes, which had transformed into a great sun above his consciousness sea, emitted a dazzling light did the turbulent spiritual sea stabilize.
Chen Luo stared warily at the monster standing in place. This was a true Abyssal-level existence, a realm he had yet to set foot in.
Ulquiorra, in its desiccated form, turned its neck with creaking sounds. Its pitch-black gaze fixed on the wary Chen Luo, and familiar Great Yan language emerged from its mouth:
"Arcane Mage? It's been a long time since I've seen a strong practitioner of this profession."
"The end of the Arcane Mage is only emptiness. Mages who pursue the profound mysteries of all spells will eventually understand that only the void is the ultimate destination!"
The Great Lich seemed very familiar with Chen Luo's profession, speaking with a hint of nostalgia.
For a moment, Chen Luo even felt that the Great Lich in the mage robe before him was a learned and eloquent elder.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, the Great Lich reached deep into its robe.
The intense pressure made Chen Luo hesitate to act rashly.
In the next moment, a pink object was pulled out from the Great Lich's robe.
Upon seeing what the Great Lich held, Chen Luo's pupils contracted sharply.
It was a human brain!
*Sizzle...*
The pitch-black mouth opened wide, and the Great Lich bit down on the brain in its hand.
Red and white stained its pristine white beard, and the previously learned and benevolent demeanor vanished instantly.
As it chewed, the Great Lich's pitch-black eyes stared intently at Chen Luo, filled with an unfathomable malice.
The once familiar Great Yan language, now emanating from the monster's mouth, was filled with an eerie and grotesque quality:
"The knowledge within human brains is very interesting. I particularly favor the Great Yan language."
A long, black tongue extended from its dark mouth, cleaning off the remnants of flesh and blood from the Great Lich's beard.
This cannibalistic monster, as if savoring something, slowly said in the language Chen Luo was most familiar with:
"When I conquer your world, I will definitely raise more Great Yan people as livestock. After all, your brains are truly delicious!"
"I just wonder, what gains can I obtain after tasting your brain?"
In his golden dragon eyes, flames of anger ignited instantly.
A silver giant fist swung with all its might from the void.
The air was ignited by the sharp fist, and the terrifying momentum seemed poised to pierce the earth:
"Monster!! Die!!!"