340: The dignity of being the master!

Seeing this, all the Demonic Evils present were shocked.

They were in disbelief, their faces filled with terror.

They were all subjects of the Lord of Curses, Demonic Evils who had lived on his territory for generations and fought for him.

In their hearts, the Lord of Curses was a supreme existence, an Abyssal Overlord who controlled the Law of curses and held the power over life and death.

He was mysterious, powerful, and majestic—a king in the darkness and the faith they swore to follow unto death.

Yet at this moment, he was actually being led by a human on a chain like a dog.

His body was broken, his aura withered, and only humility and fear remained in his eyes.

For a moment, the Souls of all the Demonic Evils trembled and their faith collapsed, as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

A sense of despair, like the heavens falling and the earth rending, instantly enveloped every Demonic Evil present.

However, Chen Nian didn't care at all.

He simply raised his hand casually.

It seemed he intended to continue, casually wiping out these Demonic Evils like clearing away trash.

Just then, the Lord of Curses, who had been silent with his head bowed, suddenly looked up.

His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an unprecedented urgency and determination as he shouted:

"My Lord! Please... please wait! Do not kill them!"

Chen Nian's movements paused slightly. He glanced sideways at him, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement and inquiry.

"Oh? You need them? What use is there in keeping a bunch of trash?"

The Lord of Curses forced himself to calm down and spoke rapidly:

"My Lord, I still need them!"

"I need them to help me cast a spell to stabilize the core spatial structure of this territory and maintain the connection channel with the main plane of the Gloomy Abyss!"

"Opening a stable channel to the territories of other Abyssal Dominators, especially the core area where the Skeleton Monarch and others reside, is by no means easy!"

"With only my remaining strength and the Foundation of this altar, a forcibly opened channel would be extremely unstable, potentially collapsing at any moment and even exiling us to the unknown chaotic Void Realm!"

He paused, his crimson blood-red eyes sweeping over his subjects, who were looking at him with hope, confusion, and bewilderment.

An extremely complex emotion, one he hadn't even anticipated himself, welled up in his heart.

He had been completely crushed by Chen Nian before, losing all his dignity.

To save his life, he could betray everything, even numbly watching his subordinates being slaughtered.

But at this moment, seeing his subjects...

These Demonic Evils who revered him as a god, yet were now facing total annihilation because of him.

Their eyes were desperate and helpless, yet still held a glimmer of faint hope.

He suddenly felt an unprecedented sting.

It wasn't entirely pity; it was more like a sense of responsibility.

This was the last bit of dignity left to him as the creator and ruler of this territory.

He was unwilling to watch his subjects be wiped away by the demon god before him...

...simply because of his own incompetence and cowardice.

This wasn't some noble sentiment; it was his final bit of stubbornness...

...as an Abyssal Overlord toward his own territory and his own subjects.

The Lord of Curses' voice carried a resolution of burning his bridges:

"I need them to work together and assist me in activating the full power of this Core Altar."

"This will gather the energy of the entire territory to construct a relatively stable one-way channel pointing toward the core area of the Abyss Council!"

"If they are killed, the lack of energy will greatly increase the risk of the ritual failing, and you might not be able to reach your destination smoothly!"

Hearing this, Chen Nian smiled.

His gaze swept between the Lord of Curses and the shivering Evil Spirit Army around them.

It was as if he were evaluating the worth of a tool.

"Oh?" His tone carried unabashed mockery. "A sudden discovery of conscience before death?"

"Or are you trying to play some new tricks to stall for time?"

"Regardless, it doesn't matter."

He casually flicked the golden chain in his hand, causing the Lord of Curses to let out another pained groan.

"I promise you, I won't kill them for now."

"Now, immediately, have these trash subjects of yours cooperate with you to activate the space-stabilizing spell."

"If you dare to play tricks, or if the efficiency doesn't satisfy me..."

Chen Nian's smile became cruel and cold:

"I wouldn't mind letting you watch with your own eyes as I crush your subjects into meat paste, one by one, in the most painful way possible..."

"...right in front of you, and then pull out your Soul to light up like a firework."

Hearing this, the Lord of Curses' broken body shuddered violently.

He quickly lowered his head and replied humbly and urgently:

"Yes... yes! This humble one understands! I would never dare to play tricks! Please rest assured, My Lord!"

Then, under Chen Nian's indifferent gaze...

...the Lord of Curses, enduring the dual agony of Soul and body, turned toward his vast number of subjects.

He took a deep breath, using all his remaining majesty to hoarsely command: "All my subjects, hear my command!"

His voice, through his remaining power of authority, echoed throughout the core territory.

"Abandon all resistance and fear! Pour all your power without reservation into the ground beneath your feet and into the Cursed Crystal Pillars around you!"

"Follow my guidance and initiate the 'Abyss Resonance' ritual! Target: the core coordinates of the Abyss Council!"

His orders were clear and urgent.

Although his subjects didn't know exactly what was happening or what that terrifying human intended to do...

...at this moment, His Majesty, the Lord of Curses, had personally given the order.

And it seemed to be the only command that could temporarily save them from being slaughtered.

The instinct for survival overwhelmed all doubts.

The Demonic Evils looked at each other, and finally, led by several High-ranking Commanders, they began to respond.

"By your command, Your Majesty!"

"For Your Majesty! For survival!"

A chaotic chorus of responses rose, filled with sobbing and trembling.

Tens of thousands of Demonic Evils, regardless of their strength, began to follow the vague guidance transmitted by the Lord of Curses through his authority.

They frantically poured their Evil Energy, life force, and even portions of their Soul Origin into the squirming earth beneath them.

They poured it into the towering, dark purple Cursed Crystal Pillars nearby that emitted an ominous glow.

"Buzz—!!!"

The entire core territory of the Abyss of Curses began to vibrate violently!

The flesh and blood tissues on the ground pulsed frantically, like the heart of a giant beast.

Countless dark purple energy veins lit up from the depths of the earth, converging toward the central altar like blood vessels.

The Waterfall of Soul Shadows falling from the sky became even more violent, letting out sharp whistles.

All the Cursed Crystal Pillars simultaneously erupted with a blinding dark purple radiance.

The agonized faces on the surface of the pillars seemed to come to life, letting out a silent cry in unison.

Boundless energy began to frantically gather, compress, and purify, centered around the altar!

An extremely complex three-dimensional Spatial Rune slowly took shape and manifested above the altar.

Space began to twist and stretch, letting out groans of being overburdened.

A Spatial Rift, its edges flickering with unstable purple-black lightning, was laboriously forming and expanding.