At that moment, several crimson figures swept in one after another and gathered beside Zhang Huanyun.
The Blood Gods had assembled.
Except...
"Where's Eight?" Zhang Huanyun asked with a frown.
"She went to get Luo Yang. She should be back any moment—" Blood One had not finished speaking when a silver-white figure shot over like an arrow and landed steadily beside them.
It was Blood Eight.
"Where's that child, Luo Yang?" Zhang Huanyun asked.
"In his room. He's safe," Blood Eight replied quickly.
Zhang Huanyun nodded slightly.
Luo Yang's parents had both died defending the nation. He absolutely could not let anything happen to the boy.
He turned to the Blood Gods and said gravely, "The scale of this tide is abnormal. You've all felt it."
The Blood Gods looked solemn.
Blood One stared into the depths of the passage, his brows tightly knit. "Even an Abyssal King has appeared... The seal must have developed a problem."
Ordinary Abyssal creatures were nothing to fear. The legion had enough reserves to last for months.
But the appearance of an Abyssal King—even the lowest-ranked Six-Claw Demon Emperor—meant this tide was on an entirely different level. No one knew what else might appear.
It was even possible that other, stronger Abyssal Kings would show up.
And Soul Tools such as Soul Guidance Rays and Soul Cannons were far less of a threat to opponents like these.
"Should we request reinforcements from the Federation? Have the Spirit Pagoda or War God Temple send people," Blood Two suggested.
"We've already sent out a request, but it'll take the War God Temple at least ten days to get here," Zhang Huanyun said gravely. "The most important thing now is that we don't know exactly what went wrong with the seal. Even if people from the War God Temple arrive, all they can do is wear these Abyssal creatures down."
Blood One pondered for a moment. "In that case, let's deal with the Six-Claw Demon Emperor in front of us first, then investigate the seal."
"Big Brother, I'll go with you," Blood Eight suddenly said.
"Good."
Blood One said no more. His Four-Word Battle Armor instantly covered his body, and he became a streak of crimson light that shot straight toward the Six-Claw Demon Emperor!
With the strength of a Limit Douluo and the aid of Four-Word Battle Armor, defeating an Abyssal King at the Super Douluo level would not be difficult.
Blood Eight would be going with him, which meant an extra measure of support.
Wherever the two passed, the Abyssal creatures melted away like snow, turning into energy that returned to the Abyss.
The Six-Claw Demon Emperor faced them as if confronted with a mighty foe, yet the two of them killed it together in just a few moves. It burst into a stream of pure dark energy and withdrew into the depths of the passage.
With the king's fall, the Abyssal creatures' assault visibly slowed.
Blood Eight let out a quiet breath of relief.
An Abyssal King... wasn't all that impressive.
But the next second—
An icy, bone-piercing shudder crawled down her back without warning.
"Eight, look out—!!!"
Blood One's roar and the other Blood Gods' cries of alarm rang out almost simultaneously!
Blood Eight froze for a moment.
Danger? Where?
She hadn't sensed anything at all.
Not until she felt a trace of cold against her chest.
She slowly lowered her head.
At some point, a hole the size of a bowl had pierced right through her chest.
When?!
Blood gushed out. Bewildered, she toppled backward.
Just before her vision went completely dark, she finally saw the figure standing behind her.
It was a woman.
A woman of breathtaking beauty.
Black leather covered her body. Two black wings spread behind her, and her long hair fanned out behind her head like a disc.
Her features were exquisite, but her gaze was as cold as the deepest ice in the Abyss.
She raised a hand lightly. A wisp of silvery-white Soul Power still glimmered at her fingertips—the trace of Blood Eight's heart beating for the last time.
The Abyss's ninth king, ruler of the Black Empress Clan.
The Black Empress.
"Humans..." The Black Empress parted her red lips, her voice cold. "You're always so fragile."
Blood Eight wanted to smile, but blood spilled from her mouth.
She took one last look toward the distant base. Complex emotions flickered in her eyes: guilt, regret, and a trace of relief.
Then she closed her eyes forever.
"Eight—!!!"
The Blood Gods' roars thundered across the battlefield. They all tried to rush toward her like madmen, but Zhang Huanyun held them back with all his strength.
"Stay calm! That's the Black Empress! At the very least, it's a demigod-level projection!" Zhang Huanyun was furious too, but he had to keep his head. "Do you want to get yourselves killed?!"
The Black Empress's gaze swept across them all, then came to rest on Blood Eight's corpse. A hint of amusement flickered in her eyes.
"Grief? Anger? I rather enjoy seeing humans wear those expressions."
She raised her hand. The black hair behind her head suddenly spread, turning into a black hole that devoured all light.
Terrifying suction erupted. Even the alloy ground was torn apart. Shattered stones, wreckage, and even stray Soul Power were sucked in with ravenous force!
This was the Black Empress Clan's innate gift.
Black Devour Domain! Devour, transform, and strengthen oneself!
"Form up! Defend!" Zhang Huanyun roared. His Martial Soul, Bright Mirror, suddenly unfurled. Its surface reflected brilliant light, trying to resist the encroaching darkness.
The other Blood Gods released their Soul Power at the same time, meeting it head-on.
But a mocking curve appeared at the corner of the Black Empress's mouth.
She was only a projection, with less than half the strength of her true body. Even so, she was strong enough to crush these humans.
The domain expanded further, and the darkness began swallowing the crimson light.
One of the Blood Gods grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His Soul Power was being forcibly drained!
They can't hold out...
At this desperate moment—
"Aunt Eight!!!"
A child's voice pierced through the battlefield's thunderous din.
Everyone froze at once.
Even the Black Empress turned her head slightly.
A small figure had somehow broken through the blockade and was running toward Blood Eight's corpse!
Luo Yang.
Why was he here?!
Hadn't Blood Eight said she'd locked him in his room?
The Blood Gods' hearts nearly stopped.
The Black Empress stood right beside Blood Eight's corpse, but Luo Yang charged straight toward her as if he didn't even see her—
He was practically running to his death!
"Come back—!"
Blood One, the closest, paled. An ancient, massive sword appeared behind him, instantly splitting into several sword images that swept toward Luo Yang!
They had watched the boy grow up. They absolutely could not let anything happen to him!
At the same time, Zhang Huanyun summoned every last ounce of his strength. His Martial Soul, Bright Mirror, shone brilliantly, and the light that darkness had swallowed began to shine once more.
The Black Empress sneered.
She understood now. This boy was of the utmost importance to these humans.
In that case, he would die today!
To her, he was an ant whose Martial Soul had not even awakened. She could crush him with a casual flick of her hand.
Darkness gathered, forming a mass of warped spears.
Their points aimed at Luo Yang.
"Die!"
A Dark Spear shot forth.
Time seemed to slow at that moment.
Blood One's sword was still three meters from the Black Empress.
The other Blood Gods' attacks were still on their way.
The Dark Spear had already covered half the distance.
Luo Yang kept running. He did not even look at the deadly spear; his eyes remained fixed on Blood Eight.
Five meters.
Three meters.
One meter!!
"Luo Yang—!!!"
Blood One's scream tore at his throat.
The Blood Gods shut their eyes, unable to bear watching.
The Black Empress's lips had already curled into a cruel smile. What she loved most was watching humans writhe in pain and despair when their loved ones died before their eyes.
And yet—
Her smile froze on her face.
Just as the spearpoint was about to touch Luo Yang—
A sudden change occurred!
As Luo Yang ran, his body suddenly lit up.
In that instant, countless golden specks appeared out of thin air, like fireflies on a summer night, swarming into his body.
With every step he took, a layer of pale frost formed beneath his feet. It was not ice or snow, but some kind of... crystalline bone.
The Dark Spear abruptly stopped an inch from Luo Yang.
No—not stopped.
It was trembling.
As if it had come face-to-face with its natural enemy.
The smile vanished from the Black Empress's face for the first time. She narrowed her eyes and stared intently at Luo Yang.
"What is this...?"
Before she could finish—
"Boom—!!!"
An invisible shock wave erupted from Luo Yang!
It was not a fluctuation of Soul Power, but the release of a certain... rank. Like a vassal before a sovereign, a mortal before a god, the Abyss before—
Its creator.
The Dark Spears shattered one after another, vanishing into nothingness.
Then, a roar like crashing waves thundered from within Luo Yang. An invisible yet suffocating aura of death swept across the battlefield!
"Was that... his Martial Soul awakening on its own?!"
Zhang Huanyun's eyes widened in disbelief.
Everyone stood rooted to the spot.
Even the Abyssal creatures felt instinctive fear at that moment, stirring uneasily.
Shock and uncertainty filled the Black Empress's eyes.
She had sensed a trace of an unsettling aura from a human child—faint as it was, it made her even more uneasy than when facing the Abyssal Sage King.
What kind of Martial Soul was this?!
With everyone watching, Luo Yang finally reached Blood Eight's side and dropped to one knee. He reached out, wanting to touch the face that had already lost its warmth.
But his fingers stopped in midair.
Because the changes in his body were still continuing.
Pale bone armor surfaced from beneath his skin, piece by piece covering his body until it formed a fearsome, majestic suit of armor. Dark golden patterns flowed across it, writhing slowly as if they were alive.
His eyes turned a pure, vivid red.
Behind him, the phantom of a sword slowly took shape.
It was a long, dark-red sword, its blade slender and its crossguard shaped from interlocking bones. It had no physical form, as if it had been condensed from the wails of countless vengeful spirits.
Its mere presence made the temperature around it plunge, and a faint scent of blood filled the air.
The instant the sword appeared, the Black Empress's expression changed completely. For the first time, something like... fear appeared in her eyes.
Zhang Huanyun's mouth hung open. For a long while, he could not speak.
The hand holding Blood One's sword was trembling.
Every Blood God and every warrior stood rooted to the spot.
They stared at the little figure covered in bone armor, at the dark-red sword behind him that seemed capable of severing life and death, at the majesty reflected in his blood-red eyes—a majesty that even the Abyss had to flee.
"An innate awakening... a divine-grade Martial Soul..."
Zhang Huanyun's voice was hoarse.
He had seen countless geniuses and witnessed the birth of top-tier Martial Souls. But the scene before him had completely exceeded the bounds of his understanding.
No awakening ritual, no guidance of Soul Power—his Martial Soul had awakened on its own under extreme emotional strain. That alone belonged to legend.
And the awakened Martial Soul could actually make the Abyssal King feel fear?!
"Genius" wasn't enough to describe this.
This was...
A monster.
Blood One took a deep breath, then slowly uttered four words:
"Born supreme."
Some people were born in Rome.
But Luo Yang now stood atop the ruins of Rome, Sword of Kingship in hand, crowned as—
Undead Heavenly Monarch!