Curse of the Black Emperor

At the same time.

Deep within the Blood God Legion base, inside a vast, circular command hall.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Three rows of massive soul-guide screens surrounded the hall, displaying real-time footage from various sectors of the Abyss passage.

At this moment, led by Legion Commander Zhang Huanyun, eight of the nine Blood Gods were gathered here, with only Blood Eight absent as she was tending to Luo Yang.

Having just emerged from a brutal battle, everyone's faces bore traces of exhaustion, yet their eyes remained sharp.

"How is the child, Luo Yang, doing now?" Zhang Huanyun asked first.

All eyes turned toward a middle-aged man in white robes with a gentle temperament.

As the third-ranked of the nine Blood Gods, "Blood Three" possessed the "Ancient Tree of Life" martial soul, which was unique in the fields of healing and investigation.

Blood Three nodded slightly and replied, "I have examined him thoroughly. Luo Yang's body is fine; in fact, his Soul Power fluctuations are several times more robust than they were before his awakening. The reason for his coma is likely that he suddenly absorbed an overwhelming amount of energy from the 'Plane Blessing,' and his body and spirit require deep adaptation."

He paused, then added, "Simply put, he 'overdosed' on energy and needs sleep to regulate himself."

It's good to be young; he just fell right asleep.

This thought flashed through the minds of the younger Blood Gods, slightly lightening the heavy atmosphere.

Hearing this, Zhang Huanyun let out a soft sigh of relief, and the tense expressions of the other Blood Gods relaxed as well.

The Plane Blessing... it was a legend among legends.

Everyone present was a top-tier powerhouse of the era, well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet none had ever seen it with their own eyes, nor had they found any clear records of it in reliable historical texts.

To be favored by the plane was already a tremendous stroke of luck, but to receive a direct blessing from the plane's origin was unprecedented.

Luo Yang was the first to ever experience such a thing.

Although it was unclear what exactly this blessing would bring, a gift originating from the world's source could surely hold no ill intent.

"I've truly seen it all today," remarked Blood Seven, the seventh-ranked and more outgoing member of the group. "Not only did we see a projection of the Black Empress, but we also witnessed the manifestation of the plane's consciousness! Even more shocking is that kid Luo Yang—his awakened martial soul actually earned such favor from the Plane Master!"

The other Blood Gods nodded in succession, their eyes complex, filled with awe, envy, and, more than anything, relief.

God-level martial souls were few and far between in the history of the Douluo Continent.

The only universally recognized one was perhaps the "Six-Winged Angel" inherited by the Martial Soul Hall twenty thousand years ago.

Yet today, they had witnessed the birth of another God-level martial soul, one that had been "officially certified" by the Plane Master herself!

Its power and uniqueness needed no further explanation; the "miracle" of bringing the dead back to life said it all.

"Don't celebrate too early."

Blood One's expression was grave as his gaze swept over the group. "Luo Yang awakening a God-level martial soul is indeed a monumental joy. But do not forget the arrow the Black Empress fired at Luo Yang before she retreated."

A chill ran through everyone's hearts.

Blood Three frowned deeply and took up the thread. "That is precisely what puzzles me most. I did indeed sense an extremely ominous aura from that arrow, but no matter what method I used to examine Luo Yang's body—even sensing deep into his Soul Power and mental fluctuations—I could find no abnormalities."

The greatest fear stems from the unknown.

The fact that it had clearly struck him, yet nothing could be detected, was the biggest problem of all.

The faces of all the Blood Gods turned grim once more. They had seen it with their own eyes; the Black Empress's attack had indeed hit Luo Yang.

Given the Black Empress's status and the situation at the time, it could not have been a random act. Yet, the lack of findings only magnified their unease.

"That was the 'Curse of the Black Emperor'," Zhang Huanyun said slowly. "A unique racial talent of the Black Emperor clan."

The Curse of the Black Emperor?

Most of the Blood Gods wore expressions of shock and confusion.

The Black Emperor clan was incredibly mysterious and rare among abyssal creatures, seldom appearing in regular tides. The Legion's knowledge of them was extremely limited, let alone such a bizarre-sounding ability.

Zhang Huanyun continued to explain, "According to the sparse records in the Legion's secret archives, and the intelligence bought with the lives of our predecessors... the Black Emperor clan is almost entirely female."

"If they wish to reproduce, they must seek out powerful males of other races as mates."

"However, not all the powerful males they target are willing to submit. Thus, the Black Emperor clan evolved this innate curse. Once struck by this curse, the target's male hormones will surge uncontrollably."

"As time passes and it accumulates, the target's sanity and body will eventually reach a breaking point. The only relief, or 'antidote,' is to unite with the Black Empress who cast the spell and bear offspring. Each union provides temporary suppression but cannot eradicate it; it is more like drinking poison to quench thirst."

Zhang Huanyun's gaze swept across their stunned faces as he delivered the most cruel conclusion. "There have been very few records of human powerhouses being cursed throughout history, and there were only two final outcomes for them."

"Either their body and soul could not withstand the accumulation of desire and they exploded, or, under the influence of the toxin and the Black Empress's manipulation, they lost themselves entirely, becoming nothing more than mindless breeding tools."

A deathly silence filled the command hall.

Blood Eight had arrived at the doorway at some point, clearly having heard the latter half. Her face turned deathly pale.

"But what about Luo Yang?" Blood Eight's voice was dry as she struggled to remain calm. "According to this, the Curse of the Black Emperor is a mating tactic aimed at 'powerful males.' Luo Yang is only six years old, and... the one who cast it on him was the Black Empress herself!"

Zhang Huanyun's expression was incredibly strange. After a moment of silence, he said, "The archives state that the Black Emperor clan's aesthetic... er, is quite unique, and they have a tendency for 'cultivation.' They sometimes select young individuals with infinite potential, planting the curse early to mark them as 'future crown princes' or 'exclusive mates'."

"Luo Yang's martial soul startled the Black Empress; his potential likely shocked even her, so..."

He paused, concluding, "Simply put, Luo Yang has been 'reserved' by the Black Empress, and it is likely a 'reservation' of the highest order."

The expressions of the other Blood Gods became a kaleidoscope of shock, absurdity, and worry.

Only Blood Eight felt a nameless fire suddenly surge within her, and she gritted her teeth.

Luo Yang was a child she had watched grow up since he was small; she had nurtured him with such care, treating him like her own "fresh, succulent little cabbage"!

She hadn't even had a chance to taste him herself, yet he had been targeted by that wicked woman from the Abyss, who had even branded him with such a disgusting mark!?

Absolutely not!

Zhang Huanyun did not notice the murderous look in Blood Eight's eyes and continued to add, "What's more troublesome is that this is a curse planted personally by the Black Empress. Its potency likely far exceeds that of an ordinary Black Empress Clan member. This means that what Luo Yang will have to face in the future may not just be the Black Empress alone, but the 'demands' of the entire Black Empress Clan."

At this, the faces of all the Blood Gods turned green.

Judging purely by human aesthetics, the Black Empress's transformed state was peerless; if she were in the human world, she would surely be a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, and most ordinary Black Empress Clan members also transformed into enchanting beauties.

But... the entire Black Empress Clan? What kind of concept was that? Even a Limit Douluo made of iron would likely be drained dry and exhausted to death!

Blood Eight's fists clenched until they creaked; she couldn't even bear to imagine what kind of inhuman treatment Luo Yang would suffer if he were to fall into the Abyss.

Wouldn't he be reduced to nothing more than the Black Empress's dog, day and night!