289: The Divergence of the Abyss

The Lord of Curses' voice was dry as he spoke slowly:

"The Abyssal Devourer and the Incinerator dying at his hands was indeed no accident..."

"This person's strength has already far exceeded the scope of our understanding."

The Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord's shadow twisted slightly:

"Just who is he?"

"How on earth did he grow to this level?"

"How could a human possibly possess such power?"

More pus oozed from the Corrupting Overlord's flesh:

"We must re-evaluate this threat and formulate a plan!"

"His existence has already severely interfered with our plans!"

The Lava Troll finally spoke as well, his voice like rolling subterranean magma, filled with tyranny and solemnity:

"The threat of this human is too great. As long as he exists, we will find no peace!"

Silence fell over the hall once more.

All the Dominators were digesting the terrifying information contained within the Skeleton Monarch's words.

Chen Nian's strength seemed even more fearsome than they had previously estimated.

Moreover, his style of action was unscrupulous and filled with aggression.

This time, the Skeleton Monarch reacted quickly, decisively cutting off his tail to survive.

What about next time?

What if it were their own strongholds or plans that were encountered?

The Skeleton Monarch gasped, his Soul fire flickering weakly.

He looked at the other four Dominators, his voice carrying unprecedented seriousness and urgency:

"Everyone! Now is not the time to discuss how powerful he is!"

"The priority is that we must go into dormancy immediately!"

"Dormancy?" The Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord was stunned.

"That's right!" The Skeleton Monarch forced himself to focus. "Although I've severed the connection, I cannot guarantee he has no other means of tracking us."

"This person acts without restraint, and his strength is unfathomable!"

"Until he is completely dealt with, or we find his fatal weakness..."

"All large-scale operations, especially those rituals and plans that might cause a huge commotion and attract his attention, must be suspended and moved into a hidden state!"

His gaze swept across the other four Dominators, his tone grim: "We must keep a low profile, we must!"

"We cannot make any more moves that might provoke this monster!"

"As long as we still exist, the Abyss will never be extinguished!"

"Once we have fully mastered even greater power, or when that human shows a flaw..."

"The humiliation of today shall be repaid a hundredfold, but for now, you must all endure!"

Hearing this, the Dominators all fell into deep thought.

Although extremely unwilling, they had to admit that the Skeleton Monarch's words were the most rational, albeit helpless, choice.

Facing a terrifying existence they could not rival, avoiding the brunt of the force and accumulating strength was the most basic Law of survival.

"It can only be so..." The Thousand-Illusion Demon Lord's shadow fluctuated, signaling agreement.

The Lava Troll and the Corrupting Overlord also issued dull sounds of agreement.

An emergency response strategy against Chen Nian was preliminary reached in this atmosphere of extreme oppression, fear, and resentment.

However, just then, a cold voice rang out, carrying a hint of unwillingness and doubt:

"Suspend everything? Dormancy?" It was the Lord of Curses speaking, the black mist around him churning violently. "Skeleton, my 'Myriad Curses Corrosion Realm' ritual has been in preparation for a hundred years."

"Now it's only one step away from completion by drawing upon the core resentment of the human world!"

"At that time, the power of curses I control will skyrocket, even allowing me to curse and kill powerful enemies across realms!"

"If I can complete the ritual and obtain greater authority over curses, perhaps I can find a way to curse Chen Nian to death!"

"Stopping now would mean all our efforts go to waste!"

The Skeleton Monarch snapped his head around, the Soul fire in his eye sockets surging. Although weak, his anger was undisguised:

"Fool! How much effect do you think your curses will have on an existence of that level?"

"Even the Incinerator's World-Burning Demonic Flames could do nothing to him!"

"Before you succeed, the commotion from the ritual will be enough to draw him here!"

"When that happens, not only will you die, but you'll also lead to all of us being exposed!"

"Do you want to be the next Incinerator, the next Abyssal Devourer, or do you want me to be buried with you?!"

"Put away your unrealistic fantasies! Right now, surviving is the most important thing!"

The black mist around the Lord of Curses churned violently, showing his intense inner struggle and anger.

But he did not argue further.

The Skeleton Monarch's current miserable state was the best warning.

Although he was extremely unwilling, he didn't dare to truly gamble with his life.

The meeting ended in an unpleasant atmosphere.

The phantoms of the four Dominators slowly dissipated, leaving the Skeleton Court... and returning to their own Abyss of Curses.

The Lord of Curses sat on a Cursed Throne entwined with countless Souls wailing in pain, remaining silent for a long time.

He looked at the center of the palace, at the massive Cursed Magic Formation that was ninety-nine percent constructed and emitting ominous fluctuations, his eyes filled with extreme resentment.

"Only one last step... only one last step!" he roared internally. "As long as it succeeds, I can control even more powerful Law forces!"

"Give up now? How could that be possible!"

Although the Skeleton Monarch's warning and Chen Nian's terrifying strength made his heart tremble,

giving up this plan, prepared for a hundred years and on the verge of success, was more painful than death.

"That trash Skeleton exposed his own stronghold through carelessness!"

"As long as I am cautious enough to suppress the ritual's fluctuations to the minimum and speed up its completion..."

"It might not necessarily attract that bringer of calamity!"

A hopeful thought sprouted in his heart and grew rapidly.

He recalled the patterns of Chen Nian's appearances; they all seemed related to large energy fluctuations and the leaking of Abyssal Qi.

If his ritual was sufficiently hidden and fast enough, perhaps he could finish it before attracting attention!

Once successful, his strength would undergo a qualitative change, and his self-preservation abilities would be greatly enhanced!

Greed and hope finally outweighed the fear of Chen Nian.

He suddenly looked up, a flash of determination in his eyes.

He issued a low and majestic command to the empty hall:

"Pass down the order! The final stage of the 'Myriad Curses Corrosion Realm' ritual... initiate ahead of schedule!"

"All Curse Envoys, take your positions! At any cost, conceal your presence and speed up the ritual's energy infusion!"

"I want to see the ritual completed within three days!"

In the shadows of the hall, several blurred figures emitting thick cursed auras emerged and knelt respectfully: "We obey the Dominator's decree!"

Watching his subordinates leave, the Lord of Curses looked into the Void Realm, as if he could pierce through endless space to see the figure he both feared and hated.

"Chen Nian... once my divine technique reaches Major Achievement, I will surely make you taste the pain of ten thousand curses devouring your heart!"