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When the Abyssal Sage Monarch first descended, his attention was immediately drawn to Tang Wulin, who stood at the center of the Blood God Grand Array. The pure life energy contained within the natural seed of the plane that Tang Wulin possessed was incredibly alluring, and for a moment, the Abyssal Sage Monarch felt joy. However, he did not let this distract him. Expanding his divine sense, his godly-tier spiritual power instantly located two other individuals capable of devouring the energy of the Abyss.
Bai Xu and Gu Yue.
The two were fighting on different battlefields. As for Gu Yue, the Abyssal Sage Monarch couldn't see through her, but the Silver Dragon Spear in her hand seemed to be of the same type as the Golden Dragon Spear wielded by Tang Wulin. Both relied on their weapons to absorb the energy of the Abyss.
But Bai Xu was different. He was farther from the center of the battlefield, and at first glance, the Abyssal Sage Monarch's divine sense couldn't discern anything unusual about him. However, when the willow tree capable of devouring the Abyss manifested, a subtle difference from the native energy of the Douluo Continent became apparent.
As the master of Abyssal energy, the Abyssal Sage Monarch could distinctly sense the nature of the absorption. The feeling was completely different from that of the two dragon spears. The Golden Dragon Spear and Silver Dragon Spear seemed to filter out the harmful aspects of the Abyssal energy before feeding it back to their wielders. Bai Xu, however, directly digested the energy, completely disregarding its inherent properties.
Even among those with devouring abilities, such as evil soul masters, none could handle the energy of the Abyss.
So why could Bai Xu do it? He wasn't wielding any weapon—that tree seemed more like a martial soul. Yet, he didn't give off the same aura as the other inhabitants of Douluo.
Thus, the Abyssal Sage Monarch kept a close eye on Bai Xu. From the moment he appeared until the Abyssal Sage Monarch was forced back by Tang San's divine sense, Bai Xu had been cautiously staying away from the heart of the battlefield, as if deliberately leaving the stage to Tang Wulin.
It was almost as if he was also wary of the Son of the Plane—the bearer of the natural seed.
This led to their earlier exchange.
---
"Is that so? So I'm not the only one who has set my sights on Douluo Continent. Well, it makes sense—how could such a juicy piece of meat attract only my greed?" The Abyssal Sage Monarch was not discouraged. On the contrary, he was exhilarated. "That guy possesses the ability to resist the suppression of the plane. Doesn't that make him an even better vessel for descent than the Devil Empress? If I seize his body… I might be able to descend upon Douluo Continent at my full power! And once I do, I can use that body to investigate the plane he originates from. Truly, killing two birds with one stone."
"Abyssal Sage Monarch…" The Abyss Sovereigns exchanged uneasy glances, cold sweat running down their backs as they watched their ruler laugh inexplicably.
"Abyssal Sage Monarch, was that truly the power of a god? But… didn't the divine realm belonging to Douluo Continent vanish long ago?" The Black Emperor asked in confusion.
"Yes, without a doubt. That was the residual divine power of a God King."
!!!!
The Abyss Sovereigns broke out in cold sweat instantly. A God King stood at the pinnacle of existence in the universe—even the Abyssal Sage Monarch before them was only a first-grade deity.
But then the Abyssal Sage Monarch's tone shifted, and he chuckled. "The disappearance of the divine realm is an indisputable fact. That was merely a remnant of that God King's power—how many times can it be used? There are scarcely any left in Douluo Plane who can oppose me!"
"After searching for so many years, I've finally found the shortcut to elevate the Abyss. How could I possibly give up now? Human greed is boundless, and our so-called 'allies' among them can be exploited even further. Contact them. I will personally express our 'sincerity.' This may seem like a failure, but in truth, our greatest gain was locating the Life Seed of Douluo Continent. So what if it devours all of you? As long as I can ultimately consume it, all the life energy of Douluo will become part of the Abyss. By then, I will forcibly establish a divine realm, elevating the entire Abyss."
"The Abyssal Sage Monarch is wise!"
"Heh. Go and contact those so-called allies. Tell them to kill one person. In any case, I want him alive or dead—but his body must remain intact!"
---
Dark Hall.
"Oh? They want us to kill someone?" The Devil Empress's voice carried a faint trace of interest.
"Yes. The message from that side demands that we deliver the target alive or dead, but the body must remain intact." The Ghost Emperor frowned in confusion. He had heard of this person before—Bai Xu, the one who could devour Abyssal energy. But why would the Abyssal Sage Monarch take such an interest in him?
A mere rank-74 Soul Sage.
"Heh. It seems our 'ally' is keeping secrets from us." The Devil Empress's voice turned icy. "Make the arrangements. Capture him alive and bring him to me. Interrogate him thoroughly—I want to know what secrets he holds that would make the Abyssal Sage Monarch so interested, to the point of demanding his corpse remain intact."
If they could uncover something useful, perhaps they could use it to pressure the Abyssal Sage Monarch. The Abyss? Douluo? She had far greater ambitions!
The Ghost Emperor grimaced. "But he's with the Blood God Legion. After our failed ambush, all our long-established spies within the Legion were rooted out. How are we supposed to kill him?"
"Isn't he from the Spirit Pagoda? You've been working closely with that Qiangu Dongfeng, haven't you? Have him recalled. Set a trap and bring him to me." The Devil Empress spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world—after all, she wasn't the one doing the work.
Then, her figure faded as if she were about to enter seclusion. After encountering the Abyssal Sage Monarch, she had gained tremendous benefits.
The Ghost Emperor watched her disappear, his eyes dark with hidden intentions. His loyalty to the Devil Empress was not absolute. After a long moment of contemplation, he smirked sinisterly.
"Qiangu Dongfeng… Qiangu Dongfeng… You wouldn't want the news of the Spirit Pagoda's collaboration with the Holy Spirt Church to leak, would you?"
"Keh keh keh!"
---
Bai Xu's Room .
He was practically pinned against the wall by Gu Yue, who glared at him with gritted teeth. "You're planning to collaborate with the Abyssal Sage Monarch to target Douluo Plane?"
Gu Yue couldn't understand. Even she, the master of all soul beasts, had never considered allying with the Holy Ghost Church or the Abyss. Bai Xu had taught her that there were lines one should never cross.
But then—
Suddenly, Gu Yue's arms lost strength, and she sighed. "You're an otherworldly demon… To you, there's no difference between Douluo Continent and the Abyss Plane. Whether you ally with one or the other, the process doesn't matter. As long as the plane is returned to the will of the plane's spirit, the karma is repaid."
"Exactly. I'm impressed you figured that much out." Bai Xu praised her.
"Answer me…" Her voice was low.
"I never collaborated with him. During the battle, I was careful, but somehow he still saw through my identity. Yet he didn't expose me publicly—that means he has other plans."
Bai Xu's answer soothed Gu Yue's unease. If this man truly joined forces with the Abyss, it would be a nightmare for Douluo Continent.
Seeing her dazed expression, Bai Xu asked, "If I really did ally with the Abyss, what would you do?"
Gu Yue's eyes flashed with anger, and she glared at him, feigning fury. "Then I'd lock you up in a secret chamber and keep you as my personal plaything for the rest of your life."
Bai Xu's lips twitched. "I regret ever mentioning 'secret chambers' in front of you. Let's never speak of this again."
Gu Yue dropped the act and turned serious. "But now the future will change drastically. The Abyssal Sage Monarch knows your identity but didn't expose you—that means he has plans for you. You'll probably be targeted by evil soul masters from now on."
"Don't worry. I'll handle whatever comes. With my current strength, I'm already among the top fighters on the continent."