Chapter 947: Dark Angel

Me?

Ai Luotixiya immediately understood, exclaiming in surprise, "Lei En, you want me to become an Abyssal Lord?"

"Yes," Lei En nodded.

The succubus had no intention of resisting; after swearing allegiance to Lei En yesterday, her life belonged to Lei En, her soul to Lei En, and even if Lei En ordered her to die she would not hesitate. What she feared was her own inability, and with a solemn expression she said, "Becoming an Abyssal Lord is extremely difficult."

Lei En, of course, was aware. "I know," he said.

There are two requirements to become an Abyssal Lord: first, the plane's area must be large enough to generate a plane Willpower and to conquer all territories of that plane; second, to rule all Demons on the plane, with a number of at least thirty million.

After meeting the requirements, the "Abyssal Blood Sacrifice" ceremony is held.

The ceremony requires the offering of millions of Demon souls, awakening the Willpower of the plane and merging it with the soul to become the plane's master.

Upon success, the Abyssal Lord becomes the embodiment of the plane's Willpower, power surging dramatically, and is virtually unbeatable within his own plane.

In some respects, an Abyssal Lord is a deity, and the plane is akin to a divine realm; many abilities are similar. However, unlike a divine realm, the plane is not forged by a god, so its might is less than that of a divine realm, yet it remains an unattainably great power for ordinary Saint Rank cultivators.

Ai Luotixiya had fled within the Abyss for a hundred years, and naturally understood how terrifying an Abyssal Lord can be.

Before meeting Lei En, she could barely reach the Saint Rank.

Now she seeks to become an Abyssal Lord; even though Ai Luotixiya is willing to give everything for Lei En, she feels some dread.

Lei En saw her thoughts and smiled, "Ai Luoya, of course I won't let you go it alone; I will help you."

The succubus let out a sigh of relief.

Then a doubt arose, "Lei En, why don't you become an Abyssal Lord yourself?"

"I don't dare."

Lei En replied candidly, "Every Abyssal Lord is the embodiment of a plane's Willpower, and each plane is a part of the Abyss's Will. I am human; the Abyssal Will might not recognize me. Even if I succeeded, I fear my soul would be polluted by the Abyss. You are different..."

Before he finished speaking, Ai Luotixiya understood.

She is a succubus, and moreover the primordial succubus naturally born in the Abyss; the Abyssal Will would certainly not reject her, nor would it corrupt her.

Because she is already a Demon, having fallen for centuries.

"Ai Luoya, your soul is unique," Lei En said, looking at the succubus. "Half angel, half Demon; you dwell in the dark Abyss yet still gravitate toward light, keeping your soul pure, unafraid of pollution or fall."

"I am very confident that you, as an Abyssal Lord, can also retain your free Willpower."

"Therefore you are the most suitable candidate."

"Of course," Lei En said in a relaxed tone, a gentle and sincere smile on his face, "I don't want to force you to agree; I'm merely seeking your opinion. If you refuse, I'll find another way to carry out the plan, which may be a bit troublesome..."

"I am willing!"

Ai Luotixiya didn't wait for Lei En to finish and shouted, "Whatever you ask me to do, Lei En, I am willing."

There was not a hint of hesitation on her face; she placed her life and death beyond concern and said firmly, "This is an immensely holy and just cause, capable of eliminating countless Demons and reducing the chance of the Abyss invading the Prime Material Plane. I am willing to devote myself to this great plan and contribute my share of strength."

Li Fulin regarded Ai Luotixiya with solemn respect.

Such selfless, fearless dedication truly lives up to her former role as a Blazing Heaven Divine Envoy who once vowed to eradicate evil in the heavens!

Conversely, Lei En felt a twinge of guilt.

His plan appeared grand on the surface, but the motive was not pure; infiltrating the Abyss to stop an invasion was one part, and harvesting souls was another.

"Good!"

Lei En said earnestly, "Ai Luoya, rest assured, I will never betray your contribution; even if the plan fails, I will prioritize ensuring your safety."

Ai Luotixiya nodded.

Li Fulin sighed appreciatively, "Ai Luoya, I thank you on behalf of the billions of mortals of the Prime Material Plane; it is an honor for the Radiant Church to have you join us."

"Sister Li Fulin, you speak too highly," the succubus said shyly, "Lei En already said he is very confident of success, so I have nothing to fear. Moreover, if I truly become an Abyssal Lord, I will gain great power and enact the justice I desire."

"Abyssal Lord..."

In Li Fulin's eyes there was a hint of yearning, yet also some concern.

The strongest Abyssal Lords are comparable to deities, even not inferior to the chief gods; with Lei En's help, Ai Luotixiya's future is boundless, far surpassing her own.

Of course, this comes with extreme danger, with death and soul annihilation possible at any moment.

Li Fulin deeply knows that if she were in Ai Luotixiya's position, she would likely not dare to venture into the Abyss; she carries too many burdens to let go.

Ai Luotixiya, without overthinking, turned and asked, "Lei En, which plane's Abyssal Lord does your plan intend for me to become?"

"Layer 435," Lei En replied.

The succubus, having spent many years in the Abyss, was well aware of the various planes; even those she hadn't visited she had heard of, and she was suddenly shocked, exclaiming:

"Mist Mountain Range!"

Lei En nodded, "Exactly."

Currently, nearly seven hundred Abyssal Planes are known, and about half lack an Abyssal Lord, either because the plane's area is too small or the number of Demons is insufficient.

Some Abyssal Planes meet the conditions, but their area is too vast and the Demons too numerous; no Demon lord can defeat all rivals, remaining in perpetual war, thus no Abyssal Lord is born.

Layer 435, the Mist Mountain Range, is exactly such a case.

This layer's Abyssal Plane is extremely large, ranking among the top thirty in the Abyss, comparable to the Oriense Empire on the Prime Material Plane.

The Demons in the Mist Mountain Range are countless; no one knows the exact number, at least hundreds of millions, possibly several times that.

Almost every Demon type can be found on this layer; the four Great Abyssal Evil Gods and Abyssal Lords and Evil Gods from other planes all have forces or legions in the Mist Mountain Range, and many Abyssal Lords seek to conquer this plane.

Yet for tens of thousands of years, no Demon lord has successfully conquered the Mist Mountain Range.

This layer is like a microcosm of the entire Abyss.

If one can become the Abyssal Lord of the Mist Mountain Range, they would instantly rank among the strongest Abyssal Lords, wielding power comparable to a deity.

Moreover, the tens of millions of Demons in the Mist Mountain Range would become his subordinate legion.

If the Abyssal Lord of the Mist Mountain Range launches an invasion of the Prime Material Plane, even if he cannot destroy mortal civilization, causing an era shift, it would still be a massive cataclysm!

Ai Luotixiya not only has been to the Mist Mountain Range, but also lingered on this layer for over a decade, being very familiar with its conditions.

She originally thought Lei En would choose a plane of moderate size, with a Demon count just meeting the requirement.

I didn't expect that coming up would be the hardest choice.

"Lei En, is the Misty Mountain Range perhaps too difficult?" the succubus shook her head and offered her suggestion: "So many Abyssal Lords and evil gods haven't conquered this layer; let's switch to a plane with lower difficulty."

"No need to switch."

Lei En remained unmoved and explained: "It is precisely because the Misty Mountain Range is vast and the Demons are numerous that I chose it. If the Abyss invades the Prime Material Plane, the Demon Legion of the Misty Mountain Range will surely be one of the main forces, and you will be able to play your part."

"Think about it: if you are merely an ordinary Abyssal Lord of a plane, insignificant within the Demon Legion, then what meaning does our plan have?"

That reasoning is airtight.

Ai Luotixiya was persuaded, yet she still felt the difficulty was too great; the day she becomes an Abyssal Lord seemed far off.

Lei En saw her thoughts and smiled: "It's a long‑term plan, requiring dozens, hundreds, even thousands of years; we have ample time to carry it out. You needn't rush—ascending to Abyssal Lord is only our primary goal; there are other tasks as well."

"What task?" Ai Luotixiya asked.

"Source crystal ore."

Lei En produced a high‑purity source crystal rod and placed it on the table, "Do you remember I asked before? You said you've seen source crystal ore many times in the Misty Mountain Range; I need it."

"So this thing is called source crystal..." Ai Luotixiya picked up the source crystal rod, "This ore isn't rare in the Misty Mountain Range, but it has little value." She was curious; when she asked Lei En about the sighing wilderness mines, Lei En hadn't answered, and she couldn't help asking again, "What is the source crystal used for?"

"It is one of the energy sources for the Star Destroyer," Lei En said without further concealment, "Both the main and secondary cannons of the Star Destroyer consume source crystal when firing. Nowadays, the Prime Material Plane and nearby planes can hardly find source crystal ore; only the Heavenly Realm and the Abyss have any."

"No wonder!"

Ai Luotixiya suddenly understood.

If the Star Destroyer cannot fire, its power drops dramatically; no wonder Lei En crossed a great distance to the Sighing Wilderness to mine source crystal ore.

"Will you let the Star Destroyer come with me to the Misty Mountain Range?" the succubus, recalling the Star Destroyer's terrifying might, felt her confidence surge, "And the Extreme Warrior?"

"Of course."

Lei En smiled and nodded, filling Ai Luotixiya with great joy.

But before she could revel long, Lei En added, "The Star Destroyer will serve only as your secret base, deploying only when necessary. Moreover, I occasionally need the Star Destroyer to return to the Prime Material Plane for other missions."

"The Extreme Warriors are the same; they cannot stay in the Abyss for long."

"If Extreme Warriors join the battle, they must eliminate all enemies, lest Abyssal Demons discover they came from the Prime Material Plane and expose your identity."

Ai Luotixiya couldn't help feeling troubled; the Star Destroyer cannot be used lightly, and the Extreme Warriors require the right timing to fight, so how could she conquer the Misty Mountain Range herself?

Would she have to face countless Demon armies alone?

"Don't worry, I've prepared other allies for you," Lei En stood up, his face mysterious, and said, "Come with me."

Ai Luotixiya's spirit was lifted.

Li Fulin was also curious; after obtaining Lei En's permission, she followed along.

The three entered the teleportation hall of the highland fortress, were teleported to the Obsidian Tower in the Shadowy Region, then to the tower's lowest level.

The lowest level was the tower's largest space, originally cleared and built into a palace; Lei En converted it into a barracks that could house thousands. In the hall, Ai Luotixiya and Li Fulin looked around but saw no one.

Just as they were about to ask, footsteps came from behind the side door of the hall.

Bang bang bang…

The footsteps were heavy, each step rattling metal plates; one could imagine the newcomer was fully armored and remarkably heavy.

Before anyone appeared, an evil aura surged forward.

Immediately, Ai Luotixiya and Li Fulin saw a tall black silhouette emerge from the doorway, stepping forward inch by inch.

"Terrifying Warrior!"

Ai Luotixiya shouted in alarm.

She instinctively reached for her silver holy sword to fight, but her hand met empty air, recalling that the Church of Justice had reclaimed her silver holy sword.

Li Fulin's expression also shifted slightly as holy blood surged within her.

"Relax."

Lei En stopped the two Holy Blood Angels, smiling calmly, "He is the aide I prepared; he's not a real Terrifying Warrior, just disguised as one."

Ai Luotixiya exhaled, carefully observing the black silhouette a few meters away, and shook her head, "That's way too similar!"

It is a humanoid Demon.

He stood two and a half meters tall, unlike other Demons with bizarre limbs or organs; his entire body was sheathed in jet‑black armor, revealing not a single inch of skin, making the form beneath invisible.

The armor's design was ferocious: the shoulder, knee, and elbow plates bore massive spikes; the helmet featured a pair of huge curved horns that arced upward, meeting at the crown, and was fully sealed except for a pair of crimson glows at the front eye sockets, radiating endless evil.

A wide black cloak, made of some kind of hide, was draped over his back.

He wielded a massive sword.

The sword was nearly two meters long, planted in the ground; its hilt rose to his chest level, and the blade was wide and thick like a door panel. The overall shape was simple, with a skull set into the guard's center and a pair of angelic wings spread on either side, the craftsmanship somewhat rough.

A massive skull also adorned the chest of his armor, with a pair of wings on each side.

It seemed to be a unique emblem!

Ai Luotixiya had never seen this emblem, but she recognized the figure—it was one of the Lord of Darkness's elite Demon troops, a "Terrifying Warrior" personally created by Him!

Someone unfamiliar with the Abyss might, upon first seeing a Terrifying Warrior, not think of it as a Demon.

But once you fight it, fear is felt instantly.

Every Terrifying Warrior is a Great Demon—a legend among humans; only a few possess spellcasting, the vast majority rely on melee, with strength of at least level twelve, and their armor forged from "Yanji Magic Steel" offers astonishing defense and high magical resistance.

Terrifying Warriors are merciless killing machines; with their massive swords alone they can slay countless foes.

Even Abyssal Demons are intimidated by them.

"Too similar!"

Ai Luotixiya's gaze fell on the sword's guard, the skull‑wing emblem, which differed from the Terrifying Warriors she had seen before, and she couldn't help asking again, "Lei En, is he really not a Terrifying Warrior?"

"Of course not."

Lei En replied solemnly, "This is a brand‑new Transcendent Legion under my command, the Dark Angel."

(End of Chapter)