288: Fear Named Old Years

Gloomy Abyss, Bone Royal Court.

This magnificent hall, constructed from the Bones of countless gods and demons, is the core territory of the Skeleton Monarch.

Normally, the royal court was filled with the crackling of burning Soul fire and the piercing screeches of grinding Bone.

Along with the endless groans of low-level undead, it was filled with a bizarre majesty of death and order.

But at this moment, within the council hall at the deepest part of the court, the atmosphere was as oppressive as congealed blood.

In the center of the hall, upon that massive throne a hundred zhang high, built from the skulls of countless powerful beings,

the figure of the Skeleton Monarch had already lost its former solidity and majesty.

His massive body of Bone was covered in fine cracks, like those on shattered porcelain.

Especially the Bones of his chest and arms; their color was dim, and some parts even showed signs of crumbling.

Those two clusters of eerie green monarch soul fire in his eye sockets, symbolizing life and power,

at this moment also flickered violently, dimming and brightening as if they could be extinguished at any moment.

He was slumped on the throne, his aura withered to the extreme.

Even maintaining a sitting posture seemed somewhat forced, as he could only rely on the throne to support his body.

Clearly, forcibly cutting space had caused him unimaginable backlash and exhaustion.

This was not just as simple as losing an outpost and a portion of his power; it had even damaged his Origin.

Below the throne, four figures of varying forms, each emitting a vast, terrifying, and Soul-shaking aura, stood quietly.

They were the other four Abyssal Overlords who had rushed over upon receiving the Skeleton Monarch's emergency summons—the Lord of Curses, the Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord, the Lava Troll, and the Corrupting Overlord.

The Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord was like a mass of shadows that constantly changed shape and color.

It had no fixed form, yet it emitted bizarre fluctuations that bewitched the hearts of people and distorted perception.

The Lord of Curses was shrouded in a black mist so thick it would not disperse, condensed from thousands of malicious curses in the world.

Only two points of crimson light flickered like blood moons; a single glance was enough to haunt one with misfortune.

The Corrupting Overlord resembled a giant, squirming, and expanding mass of rotten flesh.

Yellow-green pus flowed around its body, emitting an ultimate foul aura capable of polluting the stars and causing all things to wither.

The Lava Troll, on the other hand, was a massive monster composed entirely of glowing dark-red lava and pitch-black obsidian.

Just sitting there, he was like a destructive volcano that could erupt at any time, emitting tyrannical heat waves capable of incinerating the eight directions.

These four Dominators usually ruled different levels of the Abyss.

Between them, there was both cooperation and competition, and their relationships were complex.

Now, they gazed at the incredibly weak Skeleton Monarch on the throne.

Their eyes were filled with unconcealable suspicion, gravity, and a faint, hard-to-detect scrutiny.

From within the Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord's shifting shadows, a faint and ethereal voice, yet one carrying unconcealable suspicion, spoke:

"Bone... how did you end up in this state?"

"Wasn't your 'eye of the monarch' plan proceeding very smoothly?"

"Could it be that an old monster from the human side took action?"

The black mist around the Lord of Curses churned violently, letting out a raspy and piercing whisper:

"Such a serious injury... even your Soul Origin has been damaged!"

"What exactly did you encounter? To the point that it forced you to burn your Origin and forcibly cut space to survive by cutting off your own tail?"

The Corrupting Overlord's massive mass of flesh squirms, letting out a muffled, gurgling sound:

"Bone, that stronghold of yours was maintained for a long time, heavily defended, and even guarded by several Demon Commanders."

"Even if the humans came out in full force, it would be impossible to force you to this point in such a short time!"

The Lava Troll did not speak, but the lava on his surface made a "glug-glug" boiling sound.

The scorching air waves revealed the turmoil in his heart.

The Skeleton Monarch raised his head with difficulty, the Soul fire in his eye sockets flickering.

He emitted a weak but extremely fearful and angry mental fluctuation, echoing through the palace like rolling thunder:

"It's... it's him!"

"It's that damned human! Chen Nian!"

"Chen Nian?" The Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord's shadow suddenly froze.

"The human who killed the Incinerator?!" The Lord of Curses's black mist suddenly contracted.

"He actually found your stronghold?!" The Corrupting Overlord's flesh stopped squirming.

The lava on the Lava Troll's surface instantly cooled, solidifying into pitch-black obsidian, then melted again in an instant, showing the intense shock in his heart.

After a brief dead silence, various thoughts instantly exploded!

Even these Abyssal Overlords, who had lived for untold ages and were used to great storms,

at this moment could not hide their shock and a hint of trepidation.

The entire Bone Royal Court fell into a dead silence.

The Skeleton Monarch's voice carried a hint of trembling as he continued: "That's right... it was him!"

"I don't know what method he used, but he accurately found the stronghold I established in the western suburbs of Jiangyuan..."

"Not only did he come, but he arrived at the critical moment when the 'eye of the monarch' ceremony was about to be completed!"

Recalling that terrifying scene, his Soul fire flickered violently:

"The moment a wisp of my consciousness descended, I felt that terrifying aura of his, like something from the primordial era!"

"He was right next to the altar! He even wanted to follow the channel of the 'eye of the monarch' and forcibly break into the Abyss!"

"What?!!" The four Dominators were all shocked upon hearing this!

Even beings of their level felt a chill rise from the depths of their Souls!

Forcibly breaking into the Abyss?!

What madness! What confidence!

Did he think the Abyss was his back garden?!

But considering the fall of the Incinerator and the miserable state of the Skeleton Monarch now,

this human's strength was likely far more terrifying than their worst previous estimates!

"And then?!" the Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord asked urgently, his shadow fluctuating incessantly.

The Skeleton Monarch said with lingering fear:

"Then... I didn't hesitate at all!"

"I immediately burned that wisp of consciousness along with the Origin contained in the 'eye of the monarch' core and activated the highest-level Space Cutting Technique!"

"I forcibly stripped and banished the pocket dimension where that stronghold was located from its connection to the Abyss!"

"If I hadn't acted decisively, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he would have already slaughtered his way in front of us by now!"

He paused, his voice full of helplessness and fear:

"Even so, the backlash from the space cutting, and the instantaneous burning of consciousness and Origin, still cost me a heavy price!"

Silence, a deathly silence.

The four Abyssal Overlords were completely stunned by this news.

A human, alone.

Forced an Abyssal Overlord, in their own stronghold,

to resort to self-mutilation to cut off the connection with the Abyss, just to barely escape with their life?

What a supreme humiliation!

And how utterly terrifying!