In the sky, immense Abyssal magic converged into black clouds, swirling to form a counter-rotating vortex. At the center of the vortex, a thick pillar of black smoke descended onto the blood-soaked battlefield.
Bolts of thick, black lightning followed the smoke, striking the earth. Instantly, the ground split open, and a massive volcanic crater appeared. As the crater formed, endless Abyssal power, manifesting as black smoke, poured into its depths from the sky.
The volcano surged upward like a monstrous beast clawing its way from the depths. In just a few minutes, it grew into a colossal mountain—thousands of meters across and towering two to three thousand meters high.
With a deafening roar, the volcano erupted...
Endless magma and flames spilled from the crater, while the Abyssal magic gathered in the sky condensed completely into the black clouds above.
Around the massive volcano, smaller volcanoes began to emerge. In less than an hour, the surrounding area—stretching for over ten kilometers—had transformed into a volcanic cluster.
Scorching heat filled the volcanic cluster...
Witnessing this spectacle, the demons who had come to pledge allegiance were utterly terrified. They knelt on the ground, not daring to lift their heads.
The overwhelming bloodline suppression radiating from the Fire Demon Lord left these demons paralyzed with fear. One by one, they cursed and swore eternal loyalty to the mighty Fire Demon Lord.
After intimidating these rebellious demons, Leon felt it was time to return.
He constructed an altar within the demi-plane, and another sacrificial altar among the volcanoes. This way, Eight-Legs, who had successfully awakened the Evilbone Demon bloodline, could use the sacrificial altar in the volcano cluster to offer resources to Leon, transferring them directly to the receiving altar he built in the demi-plane.
On the receiving altar, Leon had inscribed Abyssal runes with his own blood, allowing the offerings to be treated as if he accepted them personally.
Now, with a vast supply of Eternal Dark Gold, Leon could fortify the natural demi-plane’s defenses and no longer worry about anyone tracking the demi-plane through the sacrificial array.
He tossed a message to his Abyssal subordinates: the great lord was about to enter slumber to complete his coming-of-age. They were to guard the territory well, not disturb him for any reason—no matter what. With that, Leon leapt into the largest volcano.
As the power gained from sacrifice surged, Leon felt a vast force envelop his soul and propel it out of the Abyss.
Within a tunnel filled with radiant light, Leon surged upward against the current. The force surrounding him steadily diminished throughout the journey.
Bursting through the Abyssal Gate from which he had come, Leon’s soul acted as a guide and quickly found his body. As his soul merged with his flesh, traces of magic slowly revived on his skin—life and soul fluctuations gradually surfaced...
Meanwhile, in the Abyss, Cross—once a Sky Rank Level 3 powerhouse—was the fastest to break through to Sky Rank. If Leon hadn’t left before reaching Sky Rank, Cross would have been the first to return.
The demon’s massive body exploded, using all its life and power to send Cross’s soul back—a demon lord fell in the Abyss.
On the other side, Crompton, as if plunged into the filthiest depths, had no choice but to use his demon body to comprehend the laws of shadow in order to return. Less than a month after Cross left, Crompton unhesitatingly detonated his demon form, sending his soul back to the Blazeforge Realm.
The others, most of whom had reached Level Thirty-Nine, also broke through. Morgan was the luckiest, using resources from the underground world to swiftly ascend to Sky Rank.
Next was Sterlin, who inherited Leon’s abandoned territory and soon broke through to Sky Rank...
Within less than a year, one after another, humans and orcs—bearing demon bodies—broke through to Sky Rank, whether smoothly or with difficulty.
Then, detonating their demon forms, they used the demons’ life and power to send their souls back to the Blazeforge Realm.
Within the dense Rebirth Mist, bodies like corpses began to emit waves of magic and life...
Except for the unlucky ones who perished in the Abyss, everyone else gradually began to awaken...
The flow of time seemed different between the Abyss and the Blazeforge Realm, or perhaps within the Rebirth Mist, the power of the river of time was weakened to its limit.
In less than three days, those who had been sleeping in the Rebirth Mist began to awaken one after another.
Leon was the first to awaken. After he did, the power of the Rebirth Mist—once able to obscure sight, perception, and even soul—seemed to disappear, leaving only a thin haze drifting through the air.
Within the Rebirth Mist, the bodies of Sky Rank powerhouses remained in self-protection, their shields constantly active. As promised, Leon found Sterlin’s sand-shrouded form and dragged him out from afar.
It’s important to note that human Sky Ranks and orc Sky Ranks aren’t exactly friendly. For example, the enmity between Skyhold Fortress and the Bloodbone Orcs runs far deeper than with other factions.
Even though they’re cooperating now, if given the chance—especially one that wouldn’t be discovered—they’d kill their enemies without hesitation.
Leon pushed the sand sphere containing Sterlin aside. After some thought, he gathered the bodies of the other humans left in the Rebirth Mist together. As for the orcs, those who were separated were kicked together as well.
After all, this is a critical moment for the Blazeforge Realm. Others may not know, but Leon is keenly aware: historically, the Blazeforge Realm’s power was completely devoured by ancient god-demons, leading to its utter destruction.
If history repeats, there should be Sky Rank powerhouses here now—but never this many.
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Those Sky Rank powerhouses might have been wiped out before reaching the Sacred Mountain’s depths. The previous demon lords and the Rebirth Mist aren’t challenges a few Sky Ranks can handle; if there were only ten, they’d all be dead by now.
As time passed, both human and orc Sky Rank powerhouses gradually awakened, but three days later, six Sky Ranks in the Rebirth Mist still hadn’t woken up.
On the human side, besides Bilbo and Dubois, there was a newly ascended Sky Rank powerhouse. Among the orcs, the Bronze Orc Sterl, as well as one Black Iron Orc and one Bloodfang Orc, each had a Sky Rank who hadn’t awakened yet.
Those who hadn’t awakened—Dubois and Bilbo—had life forces that were steadily declining, their magic already dissipating. One glance told everyone their souls had been annihilated; even with the Rebirth Mist’s protection, their bodies couldn’t hold on.
The rest showed no sign of consciousness, their automatic defenses fading and life force quickly slipping away.
Their reborn bodies in the Abyss had died, their souls falling into the endless depths, sinking ever deeper. Only if a benevolent demon lord rescued them and sent their souls back could they return...
But everyone knew that if a human or orc Sky Rank’s soul fell into the Abyss, any demon that didn’t devour it immediately was considered merciful. For the rest, don’t even joke...
The power within the six bodies kept dissipating. When it was gone, their bodies would turn to ashes and vanish forever.
“The Abyss is truly dangerous. I never expected so many to fall into its endless depths. Luckily, I was reborn in the underground world, where only a slumbering Black Dragon Lord dwelled...
These unlucky ones probably perished soon after reincarnation—their luck was terrible, their souls annihilated. Still, soul annihilation is better than sinking endlessly in the Abyss. If a lost soul meets a demon lord, especially one of those disgusting Abyssal Kings...
Death would be impossible—only after a thousand years of torment and devouring would they finally be freed..."
Morgan sighed with lingering fear, his face still showing traces of dread.
The others didn’t look much better. Crompton’s expression was the worst—falling into the Abyss as a Holy Light Envoy was no different than a Holy Light Angel falling; even soul descent was catastrophic.