In the dark depths of the water, one after another, strangely shaped creatures ignited their bodies, illuminating the path ahead.
It was both novel and bizarre. It was the first time Li Chen had ever seen such a creature. He hadn't expected that the outside world wasn't filled with Eerie Monsters as he had imagined.
A hint of doubt flashed in Li Chen's eyes as he asked, "Why do you live underwater? Is there something restricting your freedom?"
The leader of the strange beings shook his head and said, "No... this is not a restriction on our freedom, but a barrier for our Eerie Race, used to protect our city. Those mindless Eerie Monsters will still see us as food."
"That's the trick."
"We consume the supernatural, yet we are not the supernatural."
Li Chen nodded and continued, "Then why do you know about the existence of humans, yet you're not afraid of me?"
The eccentric man shook his head again. "The High Priest said that the Emperor has been born. Perhaps he will meet us, or perhaps we will never meet. But we don't want to sink into this endless abyss. Only the Emperor can lead us out. And you are the first outsider to be able to roam in this endless Black Mist, and even possess the Emperor's aura. I may be gambling, because my Eerie Race has been sealed away for too long. This is our only chance to go to the Human Race..." He paused for a second before telling a story in a complicated tone.
"Among the Eerie Race, there exists a story from a thousand years ago. When humans were not yet Ghosts, and Ghosts were not yet humans, an unprecedented war erupted. The Ghosts waged war against humanity. In that war, the world collapsed, and Gods descended. Our Eerie Emperor, seeking to ascend to godhood, negotiated with the Human Race alone but was betrayed. Humans and gods reached an agreement, sealing the Eerie Emperor forever within the Forbidden Door. From then on, the Eerie Race was also banished by the Human Race to the Black Mist, never to enter Human Race territory again."
Li Chen frowned; why did he feel like this story was happening to him?
The Forbidden Door is within his body. If this means the Eerie Emperor is within the Forbidden Door, then was the first emperor Li Chen?
After all, only the Eldritch God remains; who else could it be?
But now the Eldritch God is a god, while his story is that the Eldritch God was not a god at the time. Therefore, the Eldritch God cannot represent the Emperor. After all, it is impossible for God like Li Chen to personally step into the fray and fight for the sake of Human Race conflicts.
Another possibility is that this story is false.
Because of the descent of Gods, this planet should have already discovered those vacant Authority Power. Authority represents Gods, which is very tempting, and some Gods might even be tempted to seize it.
After all, isn't it a good thing for one's race to have an additional God?
This is why Li Chen dared not reveal himself.
If you count carefully, he possesses a total of Authority Powers within his body, plus the Forbidden Authority he is still exploring, making a total of seven. If the Gods knew that so many Authority were hidden here, this planet would indeed attract God attention.
The point right now isn't to determine whether this story is true or false.
After all, it's just a story; how real can it be?
His current doubts are about how this ancient and Eerie Race managed to escape the cycle of reincarnation, and who the vanished emperor was—himself or someone else.
If it were someone else, all logic would be overturned.
The emperor then represents a new power.
They are also the most terrifying force in the world today, the "Eerie Race".
Based on the last words the strange man left unsaid, Li Chen roughly guessed what it was.
Revenge...
The Eerie Race was driven into the Black Mist by the Human Race.
But many lifetimes ago, they remembered this memory, while the Human Race was unaware of it, which is why this great ancestral connection arose.
As for how the Eerie Race came into being.
Li Chen also had a bold idea: if a human becomes a monster, but is only half-human and half-monster, can they still reproduce?
Just like the Human Race, only their constitutions are different, Li Chen didn't want to interfere. He viewed the Eerie Race from an outsider's perspective, because he wasn't sure if he had truly created them in one of his past lives.
After all, only he possesses this ability.
Others don't even have the means to control the Forbidden, so are they supposed to force someone to reproduce with a mindless Eerie Monsters?
This idea is absurd.
Seeing that Li Chen was no longer speaking and his gaze deepened as if he were deep in thought, the strange figures continued to walk towards the dark depths of the water.
Until they arrived at the entrance of a waterfall.
The leader of the strange figures stomped on the floor, and instantly the water curtain disappeared, revealing the scene inside to Li Chen.
A patch of scorched, black earth.
It was covered by a dense cluster of dark houses.
It was almost the size of a human town, except that the houses seemed to be built in a certain pattern, arranged in concentric circles, with a total of ten circles, like a target. In the very center was an altar with something that looked very familiar stuck in it.
Li Chen recognized it at a glance, silently uttering the word "Mo". In his eyes, the one stuck on the altar was Mo, and he could even tell from the shape and aura of the umbrella.
It seems that this place might indeed be as he suspected.
The leader of the strange figures nodded silently to the others, then they all suddenly knelt on one knee and said in unison, "Your Majesty, welcome back."
Li Chen fell silent... He wasn't sure if he was truly their emperor, but given the appearance of that ink-stained weapon, it was possible.
But he needs to be observed.
If this was a scheme he orchestrated, then why were these strange beings sealed here by him?
How did they know I was coming?
He even knew his exact identity, and he wanted to meet the high priest.
"Get up."
The leader of the strange figures looked up at Li Chen, his tone somewhat excited, and asked, "Your Majesty, do you admit it?"
"Are you our emperor?"
Li Chen shook his head and said, "I am not worthy of the title of Emperor until I have learned everything I want to know."
"Your Eerie Race desires an emperor, but your emperor may not be me, or he may be me, but I am not sure right now."
Suddenly, a very old voice rang out.
He's right.
"Gui Li, step back. I'll speak to him."
Following the direction from which the sound came, a very old woman approached. She had a pair of long, thin red horns on her forehead and wore a long red dress. Judging from her appearance, she must have been a beauty in her youth.
"High Priest..." The leading eerie figure glanced at him, then rose and retreated.
The two were left gazing at each other, neither speaking for a long time.
The high priest simply smiled gently.
Li Chen's eyes widened in shock, as if he had seen someone who shouldn't be here. He naturally knew who this person was; he recognized him at first glance, and even if he had disguised himself as an old man, he would still remember him.
"So you're the high priest..."