Within the Hall of Ten Thousand Devils, gloom and chill filled every corner as black mist rose, seeming capable of devouring all life.
At the center of the great hall, thirty-two black thrones extended in an arc toward both sides.
At this moment, only thirty of the thirty-two seats were occupied, while the other two remained empty.
Under the demonic might of those thirty figures, the other shadows in the hall all lowered their heads slightly, their eyes filled with reverence.
Among the thirty great clan leaders, the Saint Heavenly Devil Emperor rose from his seat. Flames surged around him, now black as ink, now white as snow. Light and darkness flowed and shifted, flickering unpredictably.
He surveyed the hall, his gaze passing over every Devil Emperor, before speaking in a low voice:
"According to intelligence from our spies, the Great Thousand World will hold an 'Eternal Assembly,' intended to select the successor to the Immortal Great Emperor's Dharma Body...
"To them, it is a grand occasion. To us, it is a rare opportunity... When the 'Eternal Assembly' is held, many Heavenly Sovereigns whose strength rivals that of Devil Emperors will gather in Eternal City.
"This will inevitably leave the defenses across the rest of the Great Thousand World weakened... I have decided that when the 'Eternal Assembly' begins, we will launch a full-scale attack on the Great Thousand World, break the seal, and rescue our God!"
The great hall fell deathly silent for an instant. Several dozen seconds later, a wave of cheers suddenly erupted.
"Welcome our God!"
"Occupy the Great Thousand World!"
"You're not just picking a date and blindly charging in, are you?" the Heart Heavenly Devil Emperor asked in an ethereal voice.
"Of course not... The key to this battle lies with you... I need you