Chu Hao frowned slightly as he observed the scene before him.
Upon entering this plane, he realized that the entire plane was filled with these shadow-colored mists.
No, that wasn't entirely accurate. More precisely:
These mists were the entire plane.
Aside from the shadow-colored mist, there was nothing else in this world.
It was a world purely composed of shadow-colored mist—the mist itself was the world.
---
"How exactly are these mists consuming the resources?"
The mist was poorly transparent. Chu Hao attempted to summon some common "light" from the Abyss into the plane.
For some reason, the range of this light was far smaller than in other Abyssal planes.
It couldn't illuminate the whole plane, not even a range of a few dozen meters.
Although he realized that the mists were the plane itself, many aspects of this world remained unclear. Truly idealist planes were a first for him, and much required experimentation.
---
"Let's see if there are any life forms hidden within this mist."
Chu Hao closed his eyes and reopened them.
His black pupils now appeared as black-red whirlpools, making it easier to see every detail within the Endless Abyss. The same applied to this plane.
"Hmm?"
He glanced over the plane, perplexed.
"There's life? But…"
Suddenly, Chu Hao reached into the void.
A twisted creature, half indescribable insect and half leech-like, was pulled into his grasp.
Its appearance was terrifying, but it clearly didn't fit the plane's structure. It seemed to require land or sea to survive.
Its intelligence was low and couldn't comprehend Chu Hao's existence. Yet, driven by instinctive fear, it screamed—an ear-piercing, sanity-shattering sound reverberating throughout the mist plane.
Chu Hao remained unaffected. As the creator of the Endless Abyss, such inferior creations posed no threat to him.
---
But then, the unexpected happened.
The creature dissipated in his hand.
It vanished, transforming into the same mist that composed its surroundings. Its body was made entirely of mist.
---
"How is this possible?"
Chu Hao was stunned.
"Is it not the insect that is alive, but the mist itself?"
He immediately raised his hand, sweeping up more life forms he sensed nearby.
In an instant, hundreds of grotesque insects, monsters, and indescribable beings appeared, all screaming.
After screaming, they all dissolved into shadow-colored mist, identical to the surrounding fog.
This proved that the mist was alive.
Though it had no reason, intelligence, or organs, in this purely idealist state, it existed—it lived.
Most importantly, these mist-formed creatures were all life forms Chu Hao despised.
Though weak, they embodied the forms he feared most.
This mist world reflected Chu Hao's own fears.
---
Despite Chu Hao's immense power, which made all life in the Endless Abyss tremble, this special idealist plane could perceive parts of his mind and thoughts.
No other Abyssal being, no matter how strong, could do this—even demons could not glimpse his thoughts.
---
"Could it be that these shadow-colored mists exist solely to manifest each being's deepest fears?"
Surprisingly, Chu Hao was neither angered nor confused. His only thought was to satisfy his curiosity, to explore everything.
"This plane has shown no rationality so far, only instinctual existence.
I suspect this is because it has yet to encounter any intelligent life—only pure instinct.
If it were to encounter intelligent life, especially from orderly worlds, what would happen?"
His eyes brightened.
"Could it develop consciousness, and through its traits, grow into some low-dimensional hidden existence?"
One idea after another appeared in his mind, all needing verification.
---
Chu Hao quickly left the Endless Abyss and returned to the real world.
He left the rest area and returned to the trading zone, acquiring a city filled with intelligent alien beings at a very low price.
He integrated the city into the Endless Abyss. Protected by his divine fire, the city appeared intact within the Abyss.
---
In the next moment, the city's spatial coordinates were revealed within the idealist plane.
"Let's see how you react when you encounter life."
A pair of eyes in the Abyss fixed on the alien city.
From an unknown time, shadow-colored mists began to appear around the city's outskirts.