The Old Wang was dead; a new King must rise.
"Black Tortoise Plains".
Dark clouds covered the ground, and an endless Strange Tide was rushing forward, heading straight for the "Yellow Springs Mouth Region." But the next moment, when the Strange Entities standing on the shoulder of the Ghost Emperor raised its hand to signal a halt, the Greater Wraith stopped in unison.
Like a movie that has been paused.
There was almost no collision.
"King..."
The front.
The Strange Entities perched on the Ghost Emperor's shoulder narrowed its eyes, gazing towards the direction of the Western Wasteland Island. It sensed that the King was dead. How could the King suddenly die on the Western Wasteland Island? Had it been careless?
He looked down at his arm.
A red line is gradually appearing on my wrist.
This is the call of Heavenly Dao for their Royal Clan. The former king is dead, and there is no heir or will. A New King must be chosen to lead the Royal Clan to continue to grow and prosper.
"Stay put, ready to be deployed."
He gave the final command in a hoarse voice.
Immediately afterwards.
Dozens of Strange Entities began laying Teleportation Formation on the ground. The moment the Teleportation Formation were completed, he took a step forward and vanished from his spot. When his vision returned, he found himself on the "Primordial Continent."
The entire continent was shrouded in endless darkness.
But it doesn't obstruct his view.
Great Hall at this time.
Dozens of Generals had arrived before him. All the ghosts remained silent, waiting for all the ghosts to arrive. Some Eerie Eye, seemingly indifferent; some had sorrowful faces, mourning the king's fall; and some were pretending to be dead, eyes downcast.
Life is full of different experiences, and everyone has their own thoughts.
And further down from the Great Hall.
Seated there were a group of Ghost Emperor. These Ghost Emperor were all Original Strange Entity Clan who had been incorporated into the Royal Clan. They were qualified to listen from the sidelines, but not to participate in the election.
All the high-ranking members of the Royal Clan Strange Entities.
They are generally not very tall, about the height of a normal human thigh, and usually step on the shoulder of a Greater Wraith king when they go out.
Soon.
The trickery is all there.
The person presiding over the meeting was an old, Old Strange Entity with a white beard. He stood beside the Throne in the Great Hall and said hoarsely, "The Royal Clan king is dead. He died in a trap set up in the Mortal Domain. The Mortal Domain has laid out a huge Teleportation Formation in the Yellow Springs Mouth Region, which the king did not notice."
"We've been ambushed."
"An unexpected fall."
"We need to elect a New King to continue leading the Royal Clan forward."
"Since its inception, the Royal Clan has always been ruled by the previous king, and has no experience in selecting New King. Today, we will mainly discuss from which aspects to select New King."
"Martial Strength."
A Strange Entities, seated on a chair on the left side of the Great Hall, said Ice-Cold, "I am the Wraith Venerable. The reason the King perished was largely due to his insufficient strength. If he had the Wraith Venerable Cultivation, he wouldn't have met this end."
"If you're so capable, why didn't you rebel before?" a Strange Entities on the opposite chair mocked.
"Snort."
The Strange Entities that had spoken first gave a cold snort and then fell silent.
Immediately afterwards.
"I believe it was Composure. If the late king had been Composure enough, he wouldn't have fallen into the trap."
"That must be Intelligence; our king must be Intelligence enough."
"That's not right!" Just then, a voice came from within the horde of monsters. "Shouldn't it be the Dark Affinity? Otherwise, where did the Strange Tide come from?"
The words had barely left his mouth.
The Great Hall fell silent for a moment, but soon everyone reached a consensus.
"That's right, the first selection criterion should be Dark Affinity."
"Good."
The Old Strange Entity standing beside the Throne slowly said, "Then please move to the 'Black Abyss' to test your respective Dark Affinity."
The next moment -
Old Strange Entity got up and walked towards the Great Hall. Soon he arrived at a Fissure in the "Primordial Continent". This Fissure was extremely terrifying, as if it had been cleaved by a powerful being. Old Strange Entity jumped down.
One after another, Strange Entities followed closely behind.
Immediately afterwards, the Strange Entity Clan Ghost Emperor who had joined the Royal Clan exchanged glances and jumped in as well.
It kept falling.
After falling for an unknown period of time, their descent suddenly slowed down, and as their vision cleared, they found themselves on the Sea Domain.
The sun hangs in the sky.
It appeared much brighter.
This Sea Domain is extremely strange. As far as the eye can see, there are no Island or continents around, but the water underfoot is extremely viscous, giving a Newtonian fluid-like feel when you step on it, and you don't sink in.
The seawater was an Azure color.
And ahead.
There is a patch of Sea Domain on the surface that is distinctly different in color from the rest of the area; it is entirely black and covers a vast area.
This place is the "Black Abyss".
"Near the Black Abyss, everyone's strength is restricted by Heaven and Earth; fighting is forbidden here."
The Old Strange Entity slowly began to explain, "Before this, not many ghosts had set foot here. This place is Royal Clan secret. Currently, there are still 40% of the darkness remaining in the 'Black Abyss.' You are all welcome to go forward and try it yourselves."
"Simply approach the Black Abyss, and you will receive the corresponding message in your minds."
"Now, please."
The Strange Entities that initially settled in the "Mystic Plains" narrowed its eyes slightly. It only knew about the "Black Abyss," but as the Old Strange Entity had said, it had never set foot here before.
He was the first to step forward, approaching the Black Abyss.
Soon.
He vaguely received a message in his mind.
"Race affiliation: Royal Clan."
"Those with Species Heavenly Dao are qualified to use the Black Abyss."
"Racial Rank, Level 2."
"The types of Strange Entities that can be generated are as follows--"
"Level-1 Doppelganger Wraith: 2 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level-1 Meatworm Wraith: 2 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level 1 Monkey-Head Entity: 2 points of Source of Darkness."
"..."
"Level 5 Wraith King: 20,000 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level 10 Greater Wraith: 100,000 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level 15 Ghost Emperor: 1 million points of Source of Darkness."
"..."
"More Strange Entities cannot be generated Access Rights Level-Three Species can generate them."
"The Royal Clan has already conquered two continents. Conquering one more continent will allow them to advance to Level-Three Species."
The Strange Entities stood frozen in place, sensing the information it had vaguely received in its mind. For a moment, it felt as if a door to a new world had been opened. It had never received this information before. Subconsciously, it used 2 points of Source of Darkness to create a Doppelganger Wraith.
The next moment -
Suddenly, the pitch-black sea ahead began to churn, then billowed with black smoke, which rapidly coalesced into an ordinary-looking Doppelganger Wraith.
A Doppelganger Wraith.
It was born out of thin air.
Ping Yi.
The Old Strange Entity's voice came from behind. "How much Source of Darkness did you consume to create a Doppelganger Wraith?"
2 o'clock.
He answered instinctively.
"No." The Old Strange Entity shook his head. "The late king created a Doppelganger Wraith, which only consumed 0.5 points of Source of Darkness. Your Dark Affinity is too low; you are not destined for the New King."
Ping Yi didn't speak, but subconsciously licked his dry lips and looked at the dark Sea Domain in front of him. It wasn't only by becoming a king that one could create Strange Entities in the "Black Abyss".
In other words.
Once he controls this area, he can create a large number of Strange Entities.
Even the Wraith Venerable can be generated.
Whoever possesses the "Black Abyss" is king.
In an instant.
A sense of ambition gleamed in the eyes of all the Strange Entities around them; they seemed to see the day they Heavenly Dominion.
And the Old Strange Entity.
Seemingly oblivious to this, he continued speaking slowly.
The whole world was shrouded in darkness.
"The Source of Darkness scattered throughout the world automatically form Strange Entities. These Strange Entities have no consciousness; they only charge towards the continent and slaughter all Living Beings. When Eternal Nightfall, the Strange Entities manifest themselves."
"After the Eternal Night's Passing, it returns to the Heaven and Earth darkness."
"Among these Strange Entities Heaven-and-Earth Strange Entities, some gradually awakened their own intelligence and consciousness, and they gathered together to form a race, becoming even more powerful."
Those places where darkness is extremely dense are called the "Black Abyss."
"It's a gift from heaven."
"We will use the Darkness Concentration in the Black Abyss here to mass-produce Strange Entities, thereby creating our own army."
"It's extremely simple for humanity to own a home; all they need to do is conquer a continent."
"But we, the Strange Entities, are not favored by Heaven and Earth."
"To truly own a home of your own, you need to put in several times more effort."
"Therefore, one"
"I hope everyone can unite. Only when New King is born and the Eternal Night Continent is officially conquered can our Royal Clan be promoted to Level-Three Species, thus truly owning our own homeland and having a real place in this world."
Old Strange Entity spoke very sincerely.
But how many of those mischiefs actually heeded is another matter.
"I'll do it!"
Another Strange Entities stepped forward. "It costs me 0.7 points of Source of Darkness to spawn Doppelganger Wraith."
"I am 1.7."
"Why am I 19? Is there something wrong with me?"
"No problem." Old Strange Entity shook his head. "Actually, generating a Doppelganger Wraith consumes about 20 points of Source of Darkness, which is normal. The most I've ever seen is 78 points."
All the Strange Entities nodded thoughtfully and continued to test.
Old Strange Entity silently watched the scene unfold before him.
In fact.
He knew perfectly well who Dark Affinity.
No other creature here has a greater affinity for darkness than the King.
He had been with the king for a long time.
Once any of the Strange Entities begins to show signs of awakening consciousness, or gives birth to a new offspring, the king will have it brought to the Black Abyss. If it is found that the Strange Entities has a greater affinity for darkness than the king, it will be immediately executed.
Only...
He glanced casually at the group of dozens of Generals and spotted a seemingly indifferent but Strange Entities among them.
That's his child.
It's not easy for a Strange Entities to have a child of its own.
So when he had his own child, he didn't tell the king right away. Instead, he secretly took the child to the "Black Abyss" to test his Dark Affinity, and the result was that the child's affinity was higher than the king's.
Excitement and fear coexisted.
He concealed the existence of his child.
He abandoned his own child in the Strange Tide, starting as a lowly soldier, and secretly provided assistance.
His noble Dark Affinity allowed his child's Cultivation to advance extremely rapidly, becoming Ghost Emperor in less than a century. He knew it was time.
And he was the king's most Trust Trusted Aide.
It's extremely easy for him to do something underhanded.
He concealed some of the information that came from below.
Some trivial news.
It's really a trivial piece of news.
The entire process of the Mortal Domain building the Teleportation Formation was completely kept secret, and he was completely unaware of it. He simply concealed the speed of the Mortal Domain's rise, intentionally or unintentionally.
Some unimportant news.
Even if they are discovered and held accountable, they can still cover it up by claiming negligence.
No one in the entire Royal Clan understood the Mortal Domain better than him.
Once he fully understood the Mortal Domain, he knew that this force was definitely not a native force of the "Eternal Night Continent," and that Chen Fan was certainly not a local of the Eternal Night Continent either, but an outsider.
This force should not be underestimated.
The opportunity has arrived.
He began to flatter the king, intentionally or unintentionally. No one cared; flattery was his job. The king was also very happy to hear it, so happy that he personally went to the Yellow Springs Mouth Region for a stroll.
He began to wait patiently.
He awaited a miracle from the Mortal Domain.
A miracle happened.
The Mortal Domain truly killed the king.
The former king is dead; New King shall be established.
The Old Strange Entity's eyes held a hint of a smile and a touch of dazedness as he looked at the monster among the dozens of Generals, a Strange Entities who was clearly in his prime. Although it wasn't time to acknowledge him yet, his sons were destined to become kings of the Royal Clan.
And...
He is a king with a higher Dark Affinity than the previous king.
In fact--
If, a hundred years ago, the Wang Fa the terrifying Dark Affinity in his child, begun to nurture him extensively, and abdicated at the right time, the Royal Clan would certainly be doing much better than it is now.
Certainly.
He knew it was impossible.
What belongs to you is the best.
No matter how strong something is, it's useless if it doesn't belong to you.
Finally, it was finally his child's turn to step forward and test his Dark Affinity.
"I..."
The Strange Entities, noticeably taller than the other ghosts and roughly the height of an adult male, flashed a hint of surprise in its eyes. "I only need 0.4 Dark Affinity to create a Doppelganger Wraith?"
"It seems even lower than the late king?"
Congratulations on the birth of the New King!
Before the other Strange Entities could react...
The Old Strange Entity who had been presiding over the meeting, his eyes already red-rimmed, roared, "General Kui Yi, also known as the Ghost Emperor, has an even higher Dark Affinity than the late King. His Martial Strength and Dark Affinity quite impressive!"
"The well-deserved choice for the New King!"
Does anyone else have a different opinion?
The words had barely left his mouth.
The group of Strange Entities fell silent, their expressions complex. It seemed that a New King had already been chosen, but something else was brewing deep in their eyes. They didn't know about the Black Abyss, but now that they did, things were different.
What's the rush?
The Wraith Venerable, who had spoken first in the Great Hall, said with a slightly unfriendly expression, "Aren't there still a few people who haven't finished testing, and you're already announcing the results? Besides, isn't Dark Affinity just one of the selection criteria?"
"And what about those over there, those Strange Entities newly recruited by the Royal Clan? Shouldn't they be tested too?"
Old Strange Entity lowered his head, composed himself, and knew he had revealed too much emotion. He tried his best to return to his usual demeanor and continued in a deep voice, "That's true."
Immediately afterwards.
The remaining Generals who had not yet been tested stepped forward.
However, its Dark Affinity is not as high as that for "Kui Yi".
Beside the Black Abyss, "That Na Tian," who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, gazed at the dark sea not far away with a complex expression. At that moment, he realized for the first time the difference between the Regular Army and Amateur.
Their main source of the Strange Entity Clan Strange Tide is the Strange Tide formed in the depths of the Sea.
According to Old Strange Entity, it was naturally formed by Heaven and Earth.
The "Royal Clan" can generate Strange Entities in bulk on their own.
The comparison is obvious.
Just then--
The Royal Clan Strange Entities standing not far away looked at them, gesturing for these surrendered Strange Entity Clan to come forward and Strange Entities tested as well. They naturally knew that no matter how high their Dark Affinity was, they could never become kings of the Royal Clan.
These former members of the Ghost Emperor Strange Entity Clan, now belonging to the Royal Clan, stepped forward one by one.
"To generate a Doppelganger Wraith, 27 points of Source of Darkness are required."
7 o'clock.
"89 points."
"1.8 points."
Until he stepped forward.
In the instant he approached the Black Abyss, he also became aware of the information he had received in his mind.
Not high.
11 o'clock.
He mingled in the crowd and announced the number of points he had spent creating a Doppelganger Wraith.
Soon-
Everyone has finished testing.
But most people's expressions remained relatively calm, as if they were brewing something.
"Please follow me back to the Primordial Continent."
"Proceed to the next selection."
Old Strange Entity resumed his duties, and the Teleportation Formation gradually activated. Just as everyone disappeared, the once calm, dark sea suddenly began to churn again.
Black smoke billowed out.
And it began to rapidly coalesce.
This time, what materialized was not Doppelganger Wraith, but a gigantic monster, tens of meters tall... the Ghost Emperor.
And the face even looked somewhat familiar.
"I..."
The Ghost Emperor standing on the sea looked at his hands and murmured, "Even the Jiu Wu won't take me? My life is too tough!"
He was certain he had died once.
But after an unknown amount of time, he felt himself in complete darkness, and received a message in his mind.
Race: None.
"Those without Species Heavenly Dao, but possessing the Dark Sacred Physique, are qualified to use the Black Abyss."
"Racial rank: None."
"Can generate Strange Entities types; level 1 races can generate Strange Entities."
"Level-1 Doppelganger Wraith: 0.1 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level-1 Meatworm Wraith: 0.1 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level 1 Monkey-Head Entity: 0.1 points of Source of Darkness."
"..."
"Level 5 Wraith King: 1000 points of Source of Darkness."
"Level 10 Greater Wraith: 50,000 points of Source of Darkness."
"..."
"More Strange Entities are not yet Access Rights; they will only be unlocked after joining or creating your own race and advancing to Level-Two Species."
"Creating your own race and conquering a continent will allow you to advance to Level-Two Species."
"Ps: High Dark Affinity detected, indicating a natural 'Dark Sacred Physique'. Each racial advancement will unlock more Dark Authority."
"We now have authority."
"1: (Death Authority): Resurrects any dead Strange Entities. The cost varies depending on the monster 'Cultivation level and the amount of Source of Darkness Points required."
He vaguely received this message in his mind when he opened his eyes after death.
He still doesn't understand.
He then sensed a large group of strange beings approaching. Through their conversations, he learned that the "Royal Clan" king had been killed by the Mortal Domain and was selecting New King. One of the criteria for selecting the New King was his Dark Affinity.
The former Royal Clan king, to generate a Doppelganger Wraith, requires 0.5 Source of Darkness.
The highest level detected just now was 0.4.
And he...
Only 0.1.
He didn't know anything about the Innate Dark Sacred Physique.
But he understood the "Death Authority," and he used that authority to resurrect himself.
Immediately afterwards-
Black gas rapidly condensed on the sea surface.
One by one, Strange Entities emerged.
"Your Majesty?"
An Old Strange Entity, gradually coalescing, looked around in a daze. "There really is Netherworld?"
"What a load of rubbish!"
Jiu Wu grinned, his eyes red-rimmed, and picked up the Old Strange Entity, placing it in his palm. He then looked at the Strange Entities that were gradually gathering together beside him. "Wraith One, Gui Er, and San Ha, everyone's back."
L
Now is not the time for reminiscing.
"This place is dangerous."
"Run away as fast as you can."
The next moment -
A large number of Strange Entities rapidly condensed. He didn't care about spending his father's money, and he didn't know what the "Black Abyss" was. The darkness only accounted for 40% of the total, and it wasn't his anyway.
Consuming it like crazy.
In the time it takes for Incense Stick to burn.
The Black Abyss was completely empty; he had squandered all the Source of Darkness in one go.
In return, they were met with an almost endless army of Strange Tide!
They ran away!
Jiu Wu glanced around, chose a direction, and with a flourish of his hand, roared with a touch of smugness, "Brothers, follow me to the East! If we're lucky, we might find a small island!"
"Then..."
"Officially retired!"
"I won't die this time!"
He wasn't stupid; he saw the words "Dark Sacred Physique" very clearly. He knew that as long as he embarked on the path of conquest, he would definitely carve out a Heaven and Earth. But so what?
What good is it if we occupy a huge amount of territory?
He doesn't want to care about anything right now.
He's single-mindedly focused on retiring!
Greater Wraith tide began to surge across the sea, running from sunrise to sunset. This place was strange; even during the Daytime, the Strange Entities could survive normally, running further and further away.
The Weird Emperor Jiu Wu was running at the very front, taking the lead.
He ran for seven days and seven nights.
Until the sea surface gradually ceases to be fluid and can no longer move, they begin to swim.
I don't mind being tired.
He had never felt so exhilarated.
This place isn't even in the Sea Domain near the "Eternal Night Continent," and he doesn't know where it is, but who cares?
The Weird Emperor Jiu Wu laughed.
He was laughing very happily.
He saw a Deserted Island in the distance.
A deserted Deserted Island.
A massive, Strange Tide has landed.
This Deserted Island isn't small; it's slightly Xiao Yi than Western Wasteland Island.
Standing atop the highest mountain on the Deserted Island, the Weird Emperor Jiu Wu, amidst a throes of pride and surrounded by his old subordinates, announced, "Gentlemen, from this day forward, we are all retired. From this day forward, our race is officially established as the 'Retirement Clan'."
"Now one"
"Everyone can start enjoying their Retirement Life now."
But at that moment...
He vaguely received a message deep in his mind.
"Successfully established Retirement Clan," and successfully conquered a continent.
"The Retirement Clan Heavenly Dao."
A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder!
He vaguely sensed that the Heavenly Dao belonging to their Retirement Clan was slowly gathering above the Deserted Island, and a heavy rain covered the entire Island and even the distant Sea Domain.
What's going on?
The Weird Emperor Jiu Wu stood frozen in place, somewhat bewildered. He had only occupied one Island; did that Island even count as part of the mainland?
But...
Who cares?
He laughed even harder.
There is Heavenly Dao.
This means they have been initially accepted by this Heaven and Earth; they can now marry and have children.
Now my Retirement Life is even more Perfection!
"Hey-hey."
The Weird Emperor Jiu Wu looked down at the Old Strange Entity was about the same size as his toe, and chuckled. Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
A series of sounds, like waves, swept across the entire Deserted Island.