After stepping inside, Mo Fan found himself facing the final bridge ahead.
This was the path to the altar.
The altar lay hidden in the endless darkness, like a stone platform floating in the cold, eternal, dark universe for countless years.
The altar was shaped like an ice crown, and the stone steps below were enormous, towering several times higher than a person. The stairs didn't seem meant for humans to climb but for some giant divine beings.
From a distance, it appeared that red silk draped over the altar, flowing down in streams at the corners of each colossal step. However, as Mo Fan approached, he realized that the red drapery wasn't silk at all—it was blood, thick and viscous, pouring like a waterfall.
At each corner, there were carvings of dragon skulls, and the blood cascaded from the mouths of these dragons, falling heavily and creating the roaring sound of waterfalls.
Mo Fan, without taking the time to heal himself, continued to press forward. He was now eager to confirm whether his suspicions were correct.
Ascending the stone steps, the altar began to narrow in tiers. The higher he climbed, the narrower the steps became, until they were just wide enough for a person to cross in one stride.
Once Mo Fan reached the top, his gaze landed on the white jade altar's peak, where, as expected, a massive emerald was situated at the very center.
The emerald was a translucent red, glittering like a collection of swords inverted and forming a majestic throne.
This was the Blood Throne!
Upon the Blood Throne sat a figure that resembled a "human."
Indeed, there was a "person" on the Blood Throne. Whether they were alive or dead, Mo Fan couldn't tell. The figure was dressed in black armor, clearly ancient, but still reflecting a cold, sharp gleam.
"I've waited so long, finally someone worthy has arrived,"
The ancient king spoke as Mo Fan approached the throne.
At this point, the ancient king was merely a soul, but the presence he emanated felt very real to Mo Fan.
Though shocked that the ancient king still existed, Mo Fan took out the pendant he had been carrying and asked,
"Are you waiting for me… or waiting for it?"
"Buzz… buzz… buzz!"
There were no mirrors here, so Mo Fan didn't need to worry about being watched by others.
"You are a foreign soul brought here by my descendant, and it is the divine dragon that once guarded the Nine Provinces for me."
"Waiting for it is also waiting for you,"
The ancient king replied.
Hearing this, Mo Fan's suspicions were confirmed: The ancient king had indeed been waiting for his arrival.
"You passed the test I left behind, so you are worthy of receiving my power and legacy. Though I cannot provide you with an enormous boost now, once you reach the Forbidden Curse level, the vast magical power I accumulated over two thousand years will all be yours,"
The ancient king continued.
As he spoke, The ancient king's soul surged into Mo Fan's body.
The moment The ancient king merged with him, Mo Fan could clearly sense both his Shadow and Space magic clouds expanding into rivers of stars! Even his Fire magic river advanced to the second level.
At the same time, the wounds he had sustained completely vanished, and his depleted magical energy was fully replenished.
Meanwhile, three kilometers outside Anyuan Gate, a deep blue ocean suddenly surged between the blackened earth and the oppressive sky. White waves rolled toward the horizon, creating a deafening roar that echoed through the entire inner city.
It was as if a massive ocean had erupted between heaven and earth, its power and vastness suffocating, comparable to a tsunami that could engulf miles of coastline!
Fortunately, the roaring waters weren't heading toward the inner city but toward the endless horde of undead. Beneath Anyuan Gate, the ground had been entirely covered by layers of undead, but as the ocean flooded down, thousands of undead were swept away, pushed further from the city gates!
"Boom… boom… boom!"
At that moment, Lu Huan was locked in battle with the Undead Emperor. Tremors from their battle sent waves of energy rippling through space. But then, the space around them began to peel away!
Like wallpaper being stripped, the rainy, misty space was torn apart!
The space peeled away to reveal a patch of chaos, like a black hole emerging from nothing. But inside, there was something beyond just darkness.
As space continued to peel and twist, the chaotic black hole expanded, growing from a small dot to a massive scar beneath the sky!
What appeared as a scar from this distance must have been a gaping hole in the sky itself!
The twisted space stretched up toward the clouds, and even the dense clouds above were torn open, leaving a noticeable void. It was as if a piece of the sky had been torn away.
Everyone who had been wondering about the situation inside the tomb palace was now captivated by the chaotic scene unfolding before them.
"That's…" Han Ji's deep-set eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Before them, the twisted space was sinking downward. The black scar was growing, transforming into a swirling vortex of chaos, tearing and pulling at everything around it!
The ground beneath the vortex began to sink rapidly.
The area had been covered by an ocean of undead, but now, as the ground sank, tens of thousands of undead were falling into the abyss. From the Bell tower, they looked like black raindrops, plummeting into the earth.
The pit of the sunken ground seemed bottomless, like the entrance to hell slowly opening, or the gaping maw of some terrifying beast!
Ghostly wails and mournful cries echoed from the pit—the sound of countless tormented souls screaming in unison. It was a sound that chilled the very soul, the most horrifying and despairing noise imaginable, as if coming directly from the depths of hell.
"It's the Dark Abyss!!"
Though no one could see what lay below, the anguished wails of the damned were enough to paint a vivid picture of the horrors within.
No one had ever expected the Dark Abyss to appear here!
Meanwhile, Mu He was laughing maniacally.
"Lu Huan and the Undead Emperor seem to be caught by the Dark Abyss's pull!" someone suddenly shouted.
The crowd at the clock tower erupted in shock. The sudden appearance of the Dark Abyss had made them forget that Lu Huan and the Undead Emperor were fighting directly above the chaotic vortex.
The black scar had now expanded into a true void, and the vortex was slowly but powerfully spiraling. Both Lu Huan and the Undead Emperor were caught by the pull, struggling to escape as their bodies were slowly being drawn into the hellish furnace below!
Just as everyone feared for Lu Huan's fate, something miraculous happened. A flash of light burst from the Dark Abyss, and the next moment, Lu Huan was ejected from the vortex.
As for the Undead Emperor, though it wasn't thrown out, it also stopped its attacks, seemingly suspended above.
At that moment, the giant corpse on the mountain began moving toward the Dark Abyss, and as it did, all the undead began to retreat.
(End of Chapter)