Chaos Heavenly Emperor Art

"The pieces are in place, the stage is set... Now, it's time to bring this play to its climax."

The moment he finished speaking, Lord Mingyuan gently tapped the gray-black crystal.

hum-

Inside the crystal, the ghostly flame representing the remains of the first demise suddenly shone several times brighter.

Immediately afterwards, a deep, hoarse voice came from the crystal: "Lord."

"Ah."

The Lord of the Abyss nodded slightly and slowly said, "Bones, take the remaining Fiends and go to the entrance of the Spirit Abyss. Wait for him to come."

"Wait for him?"

A brief silence.

From within the crystal, the skeletal voice resounded once more, tinged with a subtle, complex emotion: "Lord, the Abyss of Corruption also..."

"died."

The Lord of the Abyss interrupted him, his voice still calm: "Bones, you should understand the importance of this mission to us, the Darkborn of the Death Star. Don't let me down."

"……Yes."

The skeleton's voice gradually lowered, and after a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but ask again, "My lord, in your plan, I..."

He remained silent for a long time before finally continuing, "Am I also a pawn that can be sacrificed?"

"Bones, you have followed me for so long, so naturally you are different from other Death Demons to me."

Lord Mingyuan shook his head slightly and said slowly, "Don't think too much. I just need you to watch that Star Hunter enter the Spirit Abyss with your own eyes. After that, you can come back to my side."

"Yes! I understand!"

A hint of excitement finally crept into the skeleton's voice.

"Alright, go and do it!"

The next moment, Lord Mingyuan said no more and waved his hand to disperse the crystal.

After a long pause, he murmured, "Bones, of course you are different. I still hope you can come back, but only if you can actually return."

"Don't blame me. From the very beginning, this was the purpose for which I cultivated you twelve Fiends..."

As he spoke, he had already sat back on the throne, and the gray mist around him slowly closed in, completely enveloping his figure.

Only those deep, abyss-like eyes pierced through the gray mist, gazing out of the palace into the boundless, dark void.

It was as if I had pierced through endless time and space and seen a figure rushing by.

“Ling Feng…”

He murmured the name, a faint, indescribable smile slowly curving his lips.

"Let's see how far you can go. Don't... disappoint me."

……

The edge of the damp, secluded forest.

Three figures slowly emerged from the void.

The leader was a giant, with a towering physique, but entirely composed of pale, skeletal remains.

His eyes burned with eerie green flames, he wore a tattered black cloak, and held a white bone scepter pieced together from countless vertebrae.

It was the first death, the skeleton.

Behind him, the Ninth Deathly Wind Erosion and the Tenth Deathly Venom Fang followed closely.

"Boss Skeleton, what are we doing here?"

The gray whirlwind, formed by wind erosion, slowly stopped spinning, and the blurry face inside looked at the skeleton, its voice tinged with doubt.

This is the outer perimeter of Lingyuan.

Further in, you'll find the territory guarded by those spirit guardians.

Even powerful figures like them, at the level of the Demon King, would generally not approach this place.

After all, even though the divine aura of creation beneath the Spirit Abyss is becoming increasingly thin, the purifying power released from the Spirit Abyss is also fading.

However, this aura still instilled a primal fear in the Darkborn of the Death Star.

Therefore, there are almost no lower-level Darkborns near Lingyuan.

The unique purifying power, coupled with the absence of the rampaging Darkborn, has gradually led to the evolution of a relatively special landscape around the Spirit Abyss.

The so-called secluded, damp forest is a place where trees and rainwater truly exist, unlike other places where everything in sight is barren.

"Our Lord has ordered us to wait here for that Star Hunter."

The skeleton slowly opened its mouth, its voice hoarse and low, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Waiting for that Star Hunter?"

Venomous Fang flicked its scarlet forked tongue, a hint of apprehension flashing in its eyes: "Didn't Corruption and the others... already go to him? Could it be..."

"The Abyss is dead."

The skeleton interrupted him, its eerie green eyes gazing into the distance at the dim sky.

"what?!"

Both Wind Erosion and Venomous Fang cried out in alarm, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

Was Fu Yuan dead?

That's the second most devastating death omen!

Following the Third Shadowweaver and the Fourth Blood Roar, even the Second Corrupted Abyss has died.

These were the most powerful beings among the Twelve Deadly Fiends, yet they were all dealt with one by one.

That Star Hunter...

Just how powerful is it?
"Therefore, Your Majesty instructs us to wait here."

The skeleton withdrew its gaze and looked at Wind Erosion and Venomous Fang, a hint of solemnity flashing in its eerie green eyes.

"Once he arrives and witnesses Star Hunter enter the Spirit Abyss, our mission will be complete."

"This……"

Wind Erosion and Venomous Fang exchanged a glance, both seeing the fear in each other's eyes.

"Wait, are we just going to wait? Don't we need to lure him here?"

"Wind Erosion asked in a deep voice."

"No need."

The skeleton shook its head slightly. "The Lord's instructions to me were simply to wait at the entrance of the Spirit Abyss. I suppose the Lord has already confirmed that Star Hunter will come."

"In that case, Boss Skeleton, how about we... cough cough, keep a low profile a little and avoid a direct confrontation with that Star Hunter? Hehe, of course I know you're not afraid of that Star Hunter, but there's no need to fight for nothing, right?"

The venomous snake flicked its tongue, its heart filled with dread.

Even Fu Yuan is dead, she doesn't want to provoke that Star Hunter.

Although the skeleton was powerful, it could not kill the Star Hunter directly due to the Lord's orders.

If that Star Hunter wanted to kill them, wouldn't they be just throwing their lives away by standing in their way?

"With me here, what are you afraid of?"

The skeleton seemed to see through their thoughts and slowly said, "The Lord has ordered that we stand guard here. Do you have any objections?"

"No...I wouldn't dare!"

Wind Erosion and Venomous Fang dared not say a word and stood silently to the side.

Even those as oblivious as them were beginning to see through the ruse. It seemed as if the Lord actually wanted them to die at the hands of that Star Hunter.
Indeed, how can the rare gems produced by ordinary lower-level Darkborn be compared to those of the Twelve Deadly Fiends?
If you want that Star Hunter to grow up quickly, and even be able to refine the Creation God's Breath beneath the Spirit Abyss to sacrifice the Death Jade of the Twelve Death Fiends, wouldn't that be the fastest shortcut?
My Lord, my Lord, how cruel you are!
And the skeleton probably already knew all this all along.

He deliberately suggested splitting up into teams from the beginning, just to give the Star Hunter a chance to defeat them one by one.

Now, almost all of the Twelve Deadly Fiends have been killed or wounded, leaving only these few.

And the skeletons will surely carry out the Lord's orders to the very end.

Rather than having them wait here for that star hunter to arrive, it's more accurate to say they're there to wait for him.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the skeletons are holding the two of them here, waiting for the Star Hunter to arrive so they can present them with two freshly made Death Jade!
However, even though they had figured out this relationship, they could only continue to play along with the skeleton, performing this play that everyone knew the truth about.

After all, provoking the skeletons is also a dead end!
The skeleton remained silent, standing still with its eerie green eyes gazing southeast, as if waiting for something.

For a moment, the edge of the desolate, damp forest fell into a deathly silence.

Only the mournful howl of the wind blowing through the mountains and forests echoed continuously in the air.

……

"Master, this is it!"

Hunqi pointed ahead to a natural cave located in the middle of a steep cliff, a hint of joy flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"This cave is located deep in the cliff, and the entrance is hidden by vines and rocks, making it extremely secluded. Moreover, the passages inside the cave are intricate, and there is a natural stone chamber deep inside. The stone walls can isolate most of the energy fluctuations from leaking out, making it the most suitable place for seclusion."

She paused, then added, "More importantly, the terrain here is treacherous, and the entrance is narrow. As long as we guard the platform outside the cave, we have a clear view of the outside world, and we won't be spied on like before. Master, you can rest assured to refine the Burial Jade inside, and I will guard it outside!"

Ling Feng looked up.

The cliff towers into the clouds, its entire body a dark red, as if it had been soaked in blood, exuding a faint bloody and malevolent aura.

The cliff face is covered with crisscrossing cracks, as if it had been cleaved by a giant blade. Some pale bones can be vaguely seen embedded in the cracks, emitting a mournful "whooshing" sound in the wind, which is terrifying.

The cave that Hunqi pointed to was located in the middle of the cliff. The entrance was indeed hidden by a large area of ​​dark red vines and jagged rocks, making it extremely difficult to find without careful investigation.

"good."

Ling Feng nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the environment.

However, it doesn't really matter whether it's hidden or not. Even if the skeleton of the leader of the Twelve Deadly Fiends really comes, he won't take advantage of the time when I'm refining the Deadly Jade to kill me.

Therefore, Ling Feng's choice of this location was largely due to his usual cautious nature.

"Soul Cry, then I'll trouble you to protect me outside."

Ling Feng looked at Hun Qi and gave the order in a deep voice.

After the battle with the Corruption Abyss Squad, Ling Feng and Soul Cry's relationship unexpectedly grew closer.

Considering that Hunqi was loyal to him, Ling Feng became much gentler with her, at least no longer treating her as a prisoner he could discard at any time.

He could be considered a teammate, albeit barely.

"Yes! Don't worry, Master!"

Hunqi nodded emphatically, "You just focus on your cultivation, I'll set up the defenses right away, I guarantee not even a fly can get in!"

Before she finished speaking, she formed a hand seal, and the dark red light between her brows suddenly lit up. Invisible soul ripples spread out like water, instantly enveloping the entire Broken Soul Cliff area.

The next moment, a dense rustling sound came from the mountains and forests surrounding the Broken Soul Cliff.

One after another, hundreds of lower-ranking Darkborn, each with a different appearance and blood-red tear stains in their eyes, surged out from the depths of the dense forest like a tide.

Under Soul Cry's control, these Darkin quickly dispersed, some lurking in the grass at the bottom of the cliff, some hiding in the shadows of rock crevices, and some clinging to vines...

In just ten breaths, the entire Broken Soul Cliff area was surrounded by these Dark Ones, forming an impenetrable security network.

“Master, the previous valley was too large a target. Now, with hundreds of lower-level Darkborn guarding a cave, there are absolutely no blind spots.”

Hunqi grinned and said, "Leave the outside world to me, Master, you can go into seclusion in peace."

Ling Feng glanced at her and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Master, I'm not used to you being so polite all of a sudden."

Hunqi narrowed his eyes and smiled, then stepped aside to make way: "Please, Master."

Ling Feng said no more. With a flicker of his body, he transformed into a gray shadow and silently disappeared into the cave hidden by vines.

Hunqi watched Lingfeng's figure disappear into the darkness, took a deep breath, and sat cross-legged on a relatively dry rock at the cave entrance.

With his eyes slightly closed, a dark red light shone continuously between his brows, like a lighthouse, maintaining his connection with the hundreds of Darkborn around him, and focusing all his attention on vigilance.

She knew that the time ahead was crucial for both Ling Feng and her.

……

The cave was deeper and more spacious than I had imagined.

After passing through the initial narrow passage, the view suddenly opens up to reveal a rather spacious natural cave.

Stalactites emitting a faint, ethereal blue light hung from the cave ceiling, providing dim illumination. The ground was relatively flat, with a naturally formed stone platform in the center, seemingly the former dwelling place of some powerful creature.

This Creation Realm was originally a fragment of the Creation God's creation, so it's not surprising that other powerful beings may have been born here before it was occupied by these Darkborn.

"This place is quite nice."

Ling Feng nodded in satisfaction, stepped to the center of the stone platform, and sat down cross-legged.

With a thought, a hazy, chaotic halo appeared before him, rapidly expanding into a miniature chaotic creation realm just large enough to envelop him and the stone platform, completely isolating him from the surrounding energy.

After doing all this, Ling Feng first took out two jade pendants.

In the palm of his left hand was the Nightmare Jade, a dark gray object with countless faces floating inside, radiating eerie emotional fluctuations.

In his right palm lay the dark gray jade from the Abyss of Corruption, its surface adorned with flowing lines of decay, containing a vast source of corruption.

With a thought, Ling Feng flew to the side and hovered quietly in mid-air.

There's no rush to refine these two jade stones.

"Let's deal with those two troublesome guys first."

Ling Feng murmured something to himself, then made a fist with his right hand, and a gray light flashed in his palm.

The next moment, two "iron balls" wrapped in layers of ancestral vein chains appeared out of thin air in the cave.

It was the plague and the whispers of corpses.

"open."

Ling Feng flicked his finger, and two streams of chaotic power entered the iron ball.

Click!

Click!

The ancestral chains slowly loosened, revealing the plague and corpse language that had been imprisoned within.

The two looked utterly miserable.

The corpse's enormous insect body was almost deformed by the chains, its surface covered with deep, bone-revealing marks, and dark purple blood kept seeping out, emitting a foul odor.

The plague was even worse; his hunched body was almost twisted into a pretzel, the bloody hole in his chest had not yet healed, and grayish-green venom mixed with blood continued to flow out, his breath was extremely weak.

"Cough cough... Lord Ling Feng... have mercy!"

The epidemic struggled to rise, and the aged face was filled with fear and pleading.

"As long as you spare my life, I will obey whatever you command!"

"Lord Lingfeng, I am willing to submit! My army of corpse worms can definitely help you. Among the twelve deadly demons are skeletons, and above the deadly demons is the Lord. You... you will need me!"

Shi Yu quickly pledged his loyalty, "As long as you spare my life, I'll help you deal with that old bastard Lord Mingyuan!"

To survive, this fat worm was going to do anything.

Ling Feng looked at the two expressionlessly and said calmly, "Is this your dying wish?" (End of Chapter)