When I first entered high school, the system insisted that I was destined to be an emperor in my lat

at the same time.

The Poisonous Abyss of Burial Souls, deep within.

If the Blackwater Swamp is a dead land, then this is the heart of that dead land.

The miasma here can no longer be called mist; it is as thick as liquid ink, flowing slowly in the low-lying areas. When you step on it, you can even see the mist waves rippling.

Countless black, withered vines intertwined and tangled dozens of feet above, forming an impenetrable net.

Dark, damp, and deathly silent.

Deep within the fog, the constant rustling of crawling and the muffled breathing of some terrifying creature could be heard.

The place is teeming with strange beasts, and the law of the jungle plays out every moment without stopping.

On a vast, open plateau at the edge of the Poison Abyss, the black mist eerily bypassed a section of land.

There stands an altar!

The altar was made entirely of some kind of dark red boulder, covered with densely packed, strange runes.

Nine grooves meander down from the top of the altar, like nine dried-up blood vessels, extending all the way to the ground.

Three men dressed in black stood before the altar.

"call……"

Dan Yan clutched his chest and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air tinged with blood.

His face was pale, and there was still blood left at the corner of his mouth.

"I really underestimated that woman."

"I never expected them to be so strong!"

The thought of what had happened earlier ignited a fire of anger within him.

The plan was flawless and there was no way it could fail!

He infiltrated the group for several days, figuring out everyone's background, and then launched a surprise attack when everyone was off guard, ending Zhan Tiandao's life in one fell swoop.

With Zhan Tiandao dead, the rest were routed, and he took them down one by one with ease.

As a result, the girl named Shen Weilan suddenly erupted.

The moment Zhan Tiandao fell, her true energy surged like flames, and her moves were a life-or-death style of fighting, almost seriously injuring him on the spot!

Before all the suspects could be captured, Jin Muyang escaped, Song Haoze fled with serious injuries, and Shen Weilan also escaped.

This is an utter disgrace!

"Oh, speaking of which..."

Liu Guanyi, standing to the side, glanced at him sideways, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm, "Didn't some people claim they were absolutely certain?"

"They couldn't even properly clean up a few injured cubs, and they let the sacrifices they had in hand escape. If this ruins everything..."

*Smack!*

Before he could finish speaking, a slap, imbued with crimson true energy, struck his face hard.

Liu Guanyi was sent flying by the blow, rolling around in the mud seven or eight times before stopping. Half of his face swelled up instantly, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Useless trash!"

Dan Yan slowly withdrew his hand, his eyes so sinister they could drip water. "You were beaten back by Jiang Feng like a dead dog, and you still have the nerve to mock me?!"

Liu Guanyi lay prone in the mud, his fists clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms, but he ultimately refrained from uttering any more sarcastic remarks.

That's enough.

A hoarse voice rang out.

Yan Wusheng stood at the highest point of the altar, looking down at the two of them with a furrowed brow.

He was the least noticeable of the three, but the moment he opened his mouth, both Shan Yan and Liu Guanyi shut up.

Because among the three, Yan Wusheng is the strongest!

He was also the most qualified candidate to inherit the "Hearts" code name in this generation of the Blood Card Club.

"What Lord Ace of Hearts ordered must absolutely not be done wrong!"

Yan Wusheng said, word by word.

"It's no big deal that Shen Weilan got away, but she ventured deep into the Poison Abyss, a place where even I might not be able to get out."

"If the offerings are insufficient, we'll make up for it with the number of exotic beasts."

"Now, let's open the altar!"

He simply waved his sleeve.

With a muffled boom, the black mist behind the altar dispersed, and more than twenty figures were thrown out, crashing heavily around the altar.

Those were more than twenty young, outstanding students.

Each of them was once a brilliant talent in their respective cities, but now they were all covered in blood, their true energy sealed, and they were being dragged around like livestock.

Some were unconscious, some were struggling, and some had begun to scream in despair.

"bloodletting!"

Yan Wusheng said expressionlessly.

The next instant, a scream ripped through the deathly silence.

More than twenty lines of blood lit up simultaneously from all around the altar, with warm blood flowing gurgling down the grooves.

Immediately afterwards, Shan Yan waved his hand.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The corpses of more than a hundred strange beasts fell from the sky, piling up into a small mountain of flesh and blood in front of the altar.

The foul-smelling beast blood gushed out like a burst dam, mingling and merging with human blood on the ground. Strangely, there was no repulsion; instead, they intertwined wildly, transforming into a dark red that was almost black, rushing into the nine grooves of the altar.

"Buzz!"

The entire altar trembled.

One by one, the twisted runes on the stone surface lit up with a bloody light, like something that was sleeping slowly opening its eyes.

Liu Guanyi looked up at the altar that was gradually coming to life, his Adam's apple bobbing, and finally he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Yan... what exactly is sealed inside this Blood Demon Altar?!"

"Could it be a sixth-tier beast?!"

"A sixth-tier alien beast?"

Yan Wusheng smiled.

"If it's just a sixth-tier beast, is it worth all this effort from our Blood Token?"

"Besides, do you really think a single Tier 6 beast could destroy an entire secret realm and completely overrun Linchuan City?!"

Upon hearing this, Shan Yan's heart tightened: "Could it be... that thing?!"

Yan Wusheng nodded slowly.

"The abyss descends upon Earth, and all things change."

He gazed at the ever-growing crimson light on the altar, and his voice suddenly became distant and resonant.

"Everyone says that the black mist of the abyss caused all of this."

"But after a century of research by our Blood Card Society, this is not the case!"

"What caused all of this is 'the Abyss'."

"'deep'?"

Liu Guanyi looked completely bewildered.

"The martial arts of Blue Star have been developing for six hundred years."

Yan Wusheng didn't answer directly. Instead, he brought up another matter: "Have you ever thought about why those martial artists are able to break through the limits of life time and time again? What do they rely on?"

"Secret Realm"

"Shan Yan said in a deep voice."

"Yes, the legacy of the secret realm."

Yan Wusheng nodded, "But think about it again, where did these secret realms come from? Which of the sects within those secret realms isn't filled with powerful figures and has a history spanning millennia?"

"But in the end, they were all destroyed, not a single one was left!"

"The root of all evil is 'the abyss'."

"'Abyss' is not a simple creature."

"It was born at the most prosperous stage of a civilization—the stronger the civilization and the more flourishing the martial arts, the faster it came."

"Then, destroy this civilization!"

"Once an 'Abyss' appears, it releases black mist, forming a deep abyss, within which everything undergoes strange changes!"

"That's how those ancient sects disappeared."

"now……"

He grinned, revealing a wicked smile: "It's Blue Star's turn."

Liu Guan felt a chill run straight to the top of his head: "Why... why did such a thing come into being..."

Why?

"On Earth today, martial arts are flourishing, and powerful individuals abound—that's for sure!"

"But what about resources? Cultivation techniques, elixirs, secret realms, inheritances... they're all monopolized by a few!"

"Those martial arts families and prestigious sects control all avenues for advancement!"

"For lower-level martial artists who want to rise in the ranks, there are only two paths: either submit to them and become their vassals, groveling and begging for mercy; or live the rest of their lives as ordinary people, waiting to die at the bottom!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He laughed, initially a mocking chuckle, then it grew louder and louder, more and more frantic!

"Tell me, how pathetic is all of this?!"

"The propagation of martial arts was originally intended to make the human race stronger!"

"It's to defend against alien beasts, to have the ability to protect ourselves, and to ensure that every ordinary person has the dignity to live!"

"But what about now?!"

"Powerful martial arts families will only grow stronger!"

"Ordinary martial artists are destined to remain at the bottom of society their entire lives, never able to rise above their circumstances!"

"And so—'The Abyss' was born!!"

Yan Wusheng spread his arms wide, looking up at the blood-red altar that seemed to be burning with madness:

"He is the cleansing!"

"He is just!"

"He will devour everything!"

"The stronger the martial artist, the more they are His sustenance!"

"Those high and mighty aristocratic families, those monopolistic clans, are no different from ants before Him!!"

"Only when the old world is smashed to pieces can a new order grow from the ruins! Everything will become better!"

Even if...

His voice suddenly softened, a gentleness that sent chills down one's spine: "At the cost of sacrificing millions of people in Linchuan City!"

"This is the very reason for the existence of our Blood Card Society!!!"

"Hahahaha—hahahaha—!!!"

A maniacal laugh exploded in the thick, liquid-like black fog, spreading layer by layer into the depths of the poisonous abyss.

The runes on the altar lit up inch by inch amidst laughter, and blood-red light shot into the sky.

It was as if something deep within the abyss was responding to the laughter, slowly awakening.