Previously, the severe cold had ravaged the world, and the distinct seasons had long since disappeared. Spring was neither warm nor hot, autumn neither cool nor cold, and winter neither frigid. Only the dry numbers on the calendar silently recorded the quiet passage of time, reminding people that the years have not stopped.
But the moment Chen Lang and Mu Ningxue stepped back onto the land of Huaxia, they both clearly sensed that the long-raging cold had subsided, the temperature had quietly returned to normal, and a warm breeze brushed their cheeks, dispelling the lingering polar chill.
As warmth spreads, the once barren and cracked earth gradually comes back to life.
Wildflowers of all colors break free from the soil's constraints and grow wildly, clusters and patches of vibrant red and purple, vying for attention and covering the fields, roadsides, and barren hills.
It is likely that the long period of cold weather allowed the soil to store enough nutrients, and once the climate became suitable, these tenacious little lives bloomed wildly, adorning the long-silent earth with vibrant life.
Everyone thought that this global cold wave would last for years or even longer, but no one expected it to recede much faster than imagined, like a brief nightmare after which everything came back to life.
Upon returning to China, Chen Lang did not linger or indulge in the long-lost warmth, and immediately entered into seclusion for meditation once more.
This time, however, he didn't choose an ordinary quiet room. Instead, he went straight to the depths of the Abyss of Evil, where the aura of the undead was the most concentrated, making it the most suitable place for him to hone his necromancy and break through his bottleneck.
During his seclusion, Chen Lang devoted himself to divination and cultivation, but gradually fell into a predicament.
His Undead System had already reached the level of mastery beyond the highest level, only one step away from forbidden spells. However, no matter how much he tried to break through, he could never overcome that last invisible barrier.
That barrier was like a sturdy shackle, tightly binding his necromantic essence, and no matter what methods he used, he could not budge it in the slightest.
This forbidden path of the fifth system seems to be encountering some kind of resistance, unable to find any direction for breakthrough.
Chen Lang calmed himself down, pondered repeatedly, and ruled out all possibilities. Gradually, a bold guess formed in his mind... Perhaps, the only way for the Undead System to break through this shackle and reach the highest realm is to enter Khufu's Underworld and find the answer to the breakthrough in that place of origin of the undead.
He has always been a decisive and efficient person; once he has made a decision, he will not hesitate.
He immediately ended his seclusion, packed his things, and set off, speeding towards the entrance to the Underworld.
For Chen Lang now, opening the entrance to the Underworld is already an easy task.
Moreover, the Underworld and the Dark Plane are inextricably linked, and Aurelia's return from the Dark Plane has now successfully broken through to the Dark Forbidden Spell realm, making her incredibly powerful.
With Aurelia's assistance, and by using the Dark Power to communicate with the barrier of the Underworld, the two of them opened the entrance to the Underworld with almost no effort, stepping into that dark, desolate land filled with the aura of the dead.
The moment he stepped into the Underworld, Chen Lang no longer concealed his strength. With a wave of his hand, the primal power of the undead surged around him, and countless Undead Knight burst forth from the ground. Their armor clanged, their auras fierce, and they formed a massive Undead Legion in an instant, standing in neat formation and obeying his commands.
Chen Lang's blatant invasion of the Underworld naturally alerted Khufu, the Lord of the Underworld, to his actions immediately.
Back then, it led the spirits of the Underworld into the land of Huaxia, attempting to invade the human world. It was this human Chen Lang who stepped forward and forcefully stopped its advance, ruining its grand plan.
Khufu never forgot this humiliation, but he never imagined that in just a few years, this human's strength would grow to such an extent that he would dare to venture into his Underworld alone and challenge his authority.
Khufu was furious and wanted to mobilize all forces to exert pressure from multiple directions, encircle and suppress Chen Lang, and make him pay a heavy price.
But it soon discovered that its plan was completely futile.
The Vatican had already completely disintegrated and perished the moment Ye Xin Xia became Goddess, and could no longer serve as a force to restrain Chen Lang...
In the Holy City, after Shaja took power, he implemented a series of reforms, cutting redundant combat forces and reorganizing internal order. The Holy City is no longer as glorious as it once was and no longer possesses top-tier combat power to contend with Chen Lang.
As for the Magic Association of the major continents?
Those high-ranking officials who followed Shaja and Chen Lang into the Antarctic Glacier and miraculously survived were already intimidated by Chen Lang's strength, filled with awe and fear. They had no courage left to face Chen Lang's prowess, let alone discuss cooperation with Khufu.
After much deliberation, Khufu found himself completely isolated and helpless. He hadn't expected that the balance of power among humans had been so quietly and thoroughly disrupted...
In this situation, it has no choice but to rely on its own Underworld power to fight Chen Lang head-on.
What enraged and despaired it even more was that the situation on the battlefield was completely beyond its control.
The number of Undead Knight summoned by Chen Lang increased with each battle. Almost all the dead spirits from the Underworld who died in battle were absorbed by Chen Lang's necromantic power and transformed into new Undead Knight, becoming part of his fighting force.
In contrast, its Underworld subjects fell one after another in battle, failing to cripple Chen Lang's army. Instead, they seemed to be continuously supplying the enemy with resources, allowing Chen Lang's Undead Legion to grow ever larger, while its own power was slowly dwindling, nearing exhaustion...
Within the Underworld, an eerie atmosphere, completely different from the outside world, enveloped the two of them.
Here, there is no bright sunshine from the outside world, nor the alternation of night and day. The entire world is forever shrouded in a hazy gray halo. The light is dim, the air is stagnant, and even the wind carries the stench of decaying corpses.
A month has passed since I entered the Underworld. Time has lost its meaning here; the unchanging grayness is like an endless net, firmly covering this Undead Kingdom.
Aurelia turned her head to look at Chen Lang beside her, her eyes filled with shock and a complex emotion that was hard to describe.
She didn't know when it started, but she could no longer see through Chen Lang's true situation.
Even when his strength increased dramatically, she could still vaguely sense the fluctuations in his power.
But now, in her eyes, Chen Lang is like a bottomless dark starry sea, seemingly within reach, yet impossible to fathom. You see, even though she has become stronger, Chen Lang exudes an elusive mystery.
"Are we just going to keep killing like this?" Aurelia asked softly, her voice tinged with a hint of tenderness.
She followed Chen Lang into the Underworld, watching him wield Undead Knight as his blade, sweeping through the Underworld's guards and growing stronger with each battle. But this relentless fighting left her wondering what Chen Lang was trying to do.
Chen Lang nodded, then looked at Aurelia and said, "You've suffered these past few days."
Such a place is truly difficult for a woman to stay in.
But Aurelia stayed with him there for a whole month!
"It's nothing. I've been in the Dark Plane for so long and I can accept it." Aurelia shook her head.
Chen Lang said nothing more, raising his eyes to gaze into the hazy depths of the Underworld, his gaze sharp as he continued, "I can sense that the moment the Undead System breaks through the forbidden spell, I will undergo a new transformation."
It's not just a surge in strength, but a sublimation of my very essence. Only then will my combat power truly stand at the very top of this world.
"???"
Upon hearing Aurelia's charming expression was instantly replaced by utter shock. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, almost bulging out of their sockets.
You can even become stronger!?
In her mind, Chen Lang's strength had already reached an unbelievable level, far surpassing any existence she had ever seen.
Even the Archangel first brought the magic system to humankind might not have possessed such formidable foundation and combat power when they descended to earth.
He seemed to have climbed to the top by standing on the shoulders of countless powerful figures, becoming the pinnacle of humanity and even the entire magical world. He was unprecedented and it is unlikely that anyone will ever come after him.
But who could have imagined that he would continue to move forward, continue to grow stronger, and never stop, unlike other powerful individuals who stop at a certain level and remain stagnant.
Once upon a time, the ultimate expression of human understanding was forbidden magic.
Countless magicians spend their entire lives trying to break through to the forbidden spell realm, which is considered the pinnacle. Forbidden spells are revered by thousands, much like gods.
But no one has ever truly been committed to the realm "above forbidden spells" in pursuit of higher possibilities.
Aurelia knew in her heart that such a realm did exist.
The origins of magic in this world are far more profound than people imagine. However, most of those who have reached the pinnacle have lost their ambition after achieving success and fame, becoming complacent and no longer having the courage to break through the shackles.
Therefore, there must be a much wider world beyond forbidden spells.
And to have reached this point, to become a pioneer, to break all the constraints, perhaps only Chen Lang has achieved this in the entire world.
This realization filled Aurelia's heart with an indescribable sense of awe...
Several more days passed, and the gloomy Underworld remained unchanged, but the aura of the dead in the air had quietly become stagnant.
Aurelia stopped, intently sensing her surroundings. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she spoke with a hint of doubt, "These past few days, the Egyptian spirits seem to have fallen silent; there haven't been any sporadic attempts to stop us."
In the past few days, they have ventured deep into the heart of the Underworld. Along the way, there should have been a constant stream of Underworld guards blocking their path, but since when, the Skeleton Soldiers and undead guards have completely disappeared. The entire Underworld has fallen into an eerie silence, with only their footsteps echoing across the empty Bone Plain.
Chen Lang raised his hand, signaling the undead legion to halt its advance. He gazed at the even darker area deep within the Underworld and said calmly, "I suppose Khufu has realized that his subjects alone cannot pose any threat to us; on the contrary, they will only continuously supply our undead legion with nourishment."
He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes, and continued, "It won't delay any longer; it's likely going to take matters into its own hands and engage us in a decisive battle."
Aurelia's heart sank, and she nodded subconsciously.
Although the Underworld is vast and boundless, it still has boundaries. They have been advancing relentlessly and have already approached the core of the Underworld. Khufu has no way out, and a decisive battle is inevitable.
"A final battle..." Aurelia murmured softly, the coquettishness on her face fading, replaced by deep worry. Her tone also became more serious. " Khufu's resources are far deeper than we imagined. We must be careful."
She knew that there were three great Undead Empire in this world, each occupying a territory and possessing formidable strength.
One is the Underwater Undead Empire, hidden thousands of feet below the ocean, its whereabouts elusive and mysterious.
Unlike the other two major Undead Empire, the Undersea Undead have a unique advantage. As long as they are in the deep sea and there are skeletons, they can easily summon a huge Undead Legion that is endless and difficult to destroy.
Leaving aside the elusive Undersea Undead, the remaining two major Undead Empire are the Great Xia Undead and the Egypt Undead.
The ruler of the Great Xia Undead is the Ancient King.
Back then, the Ancient King created Undead System, pioneering the path of necromancy training and becoming the progenitor of necromancy.
After creating the Undead System, he directly entered the Undead Palace, Abyss of Evil, which he had built himself, and fell into an endless slumber, no longer concerning himself with worldly conflicts. As a result, the Great Xia Undead also fell silent, remaining dormant beneath the land of Great Xia.
Khufu was the ruler of the Egypt Undead.
It once allied with the Dark King to seize this Underworld, turning it into its own territory, and proclaimed itself the Underworld God, ruling over the spirits of the Underworld.
Khufu has existed in this magical world for countless years.
The fact that it has been able to peacefully rule the Underworld for so many years in a world of rising heroes and constant strife, without ever being shaken by other forces, is enough to prove how powerful it is and how profound its foundation is.
Moreover, it had once allied with the Dark King. If Chen Lang hadn't stopped it back then, it would have led the spirits of the Underworld to trample the land of Huaxia and invade the human world.
Now that he has been forced into a desperate situation and is taking action himself, his combat power must be extremely terrifying.
Seeing Aurelia's worried expression, Chen Lang nodded slightly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable confidence. "Don't worry about it, it's just Khufu, nothing to worry about. Perhaps, in its mind, I'm still the human who could barely stop its progress a few years ago."
As Chen Lang finished speaking, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he couldn't help but sneer, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.
I really look forward to seeing Khufu appear in person and witness his current appearance again. What shock and disbelief he will feel?
Seeing Chen Lang's confident and composed demeanor, Aurelia's worries quietly dissipated, and she even felt that she had been overthinking things.
Who is Chen Lang?
Even before heading to the Antarctic Glacier, he already possessed the power to fiercely battle Dominator Emperor, and could even defeat the puppets of the Emperor of the South Pole Ice.
Now, having returned triumphantly from the Antarctic Glacier, Chen Lang's strength has clearly increased significantly, his foundation has become more profound, and his combat power is unfathomable.
Under such circumstances, even if Khufu were to personally intervene, he might not be a match for Chen Lang.
Aurelia gazed at Chen Lang's tall, straight back, a wave of emotion washing over her. She murmured softly, "What am I even worried about...?"