The sky was blanketed by dense Demonic Qi, with no trace of the sun in sight. A cold, sinister aura permeated heaven and earth.
Countless figures hung from the gray sky like strips of wind-dried meat, swaying in the wind. What suspended them were not ropes, but invisible black lines descending from the infinitely distant heights, piercing the backs of their necks.
The enormous city was deathly silent. There was not the slightest trace of life within the black stone buildings, as though the entire city had died.
Within the tower at the very center of the city, figures packed the space. Dense crowds occupied every floor, each emitting low whimpers and strange, unintelligible sounds that sent chills down one's spine.
On the highest floor, a figure clad in a tattered gray robe sat upon a stone throne, his head lowered as though asleep.
Countless illusory black lines, invisible to the naked eye, extended from his back and vanished into the Void.
Unlike those who had been suspended, the gray-robed figure was not a victim of the intangible black lines, but their source.
A sound like drumbeats suddenly rang out in the great hall, yet it also resembled the heartbeat of some colossal creature. Faintly, one could even hear blood being forced through vessels.
The gray-robed figure slowly raised his lowered head, revealing a chaotic, toothless mouth and eyes shaped like black vortices.
"Who am I? Heart Demon? Dark Demon? Or Heaven Swallowing Devil Emperor?" A distant voice emerged from his mouth, echoing through the hall.
"Heh... It doesn't matter anymore... Martial Ancestor, are you ready? This time, I'll turn you into my most perfect puppet."
Surging Demonic Qi raged outward, sweeping across the entirety of Heart Devil City. After several breaths, it receded like the tide back into Heart