chsdbacks Chapter 321 Beneath the Thunder Demon Abyss, the Thunder Palace Appears!
Chapter 321 Beneath the Thunder Demon Abyss, the Thunder Palace Appears!
Chapter 321 Beneath the Thunder Demon Abyss, the Thunder Palace Appears!
Not long after, in the northernmost part of the Northern Region, the Hundred Battles Domain, the Thunderfire Plains.
This is a vast and peculiar region. The earth displays a mixture of dark red and scorched black, as if it had been repeatedly scorched by endless war and thunder.
Huge cracks and deep pits can be seen everywhere on the ground. Some cracks have dark red fire surging in the depths of the ground. The air is filled with the smell of sulfur and burning, as well as the lingering stench of blood and evil aura.
This is the "Thunderfire Plain" on the southwestern edge of the Hundred Battles Domain, named for its unique earth fire environment and violent thunder-attribute spiritual power.
At the same time, this is also the intersection of the Hundred Battle Domain and the southwestern region of the neighboring top power of the Northern Realm, "Da Luo Tian Domain", which is a region where the two forces frequently buffer and clash.
Lu Yu and his two companions stood atop a slightly elevated scorched rock, their gazes sweeping over the desolate and dangerous wilderness. According to information purchased by the Myriad Elephants Pavilion, the Hundred Battles Domain was now ruled by a powerful figure who called himself the "King of Hundred Battles."
This Hundred-Battle King rose to prominence decades ago, and it is said that his cultivation level had already reached the peak of the sixth-grade supreme realm.
Such strength is considered top-tier in the Northern Realm, a region with scarce spiritual energy and relatively few experts.
With his formidable personal strength and skillful maneuvering, he subdued or annihilated many unruly forces within the Hundred Battles Domain, establishing a king-level power and bringing a degree of order to the chaotic Hundred Battles Domain.
Of course, under this order, the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest and the supremacy of strength—remains deeply entrenched.
"A sixth-grade Supreme Peak—enough to dominate a region. The level of the Northern Realm is indeed far inferior to that of the core region."
Lu Yu understood. This level of strength might make him a powerful figure in the Northern Realm, but it wouldn't be enough against a truly superpower.
However, this is also a good thing, because their destination, the ruins of the "Heart Demon Thunder Emperor," is located in the Thunder Demon Mountain deep within the Thunderfire Plains.
According to the latest intelligence provided by Wanxiang Pavilion, Leimo Mountain is shrouded in violent lightning all year round, and its spiritual energy is extremely violent and mixed. At present, no force has occupied it, and it is in a state of being ignored.
"Target clear: Thunder Demon Mountain."
Lu Yu withdrew his attention from the information in the spiritual map and said to the two women, "The environment there is treacherous, but for us, it actually reduces the risk of being disturbed by outsiders. However, the real test lies in the restrictions and dangers that may exist within the ruins themselves."
"Understood." Zi Yan and Little Fairy Doctor nodded in unison, their eyes showing both vigilance and a hint of excitement at exploring the unknown.
"Let's go." Lu Yu said no more, and with a swift movement, he sped off into the depths of the Thunderfire Plains. Zi Yan and Little Fairy Doctor followed closely behind.
The deeper one ventures into the plains, the harsher the environment becomes. The ground temperature rises, and scorching hot air bursts forth from the dark red cracks.
Occasionally, pale white lightning bolts silently crisscrossed the clouds, creating a sense of oppressive unease. The mixed spiritual and malevolent energy in the air was enough to make even ordinary supreme experts feel uncomfortable, requiring them to constantly circulate their spiritual power to resist.
Along the way, they encountered several groups of cultivators operating on the edge of the plains or in relatively safe areas. Most of them were hunting fire-attribute spirit beasts that had adapted to the local environment or collecting some special minerals.
These cultivators were generally below the Supreme Realm. Sensing the extraordinary aura that Lu Yu and his companions still exuded despite their deliberate concealment, they all consciously kept their distance and dared not approach.
About half a day later, the scene ahead suddenly changed. The earth turned dark brown to almost black, and the vegetation disappeared completely, leaving only jagged rocks and scorched earth.
Even more unsettling was the sound of a dull, continuous rumbling, which came not from the sky, but from the depths of the earth, causing the ground beneath one's feet to tremble slightly.
A towering black mountain stood before them. Its body was dark and shadowy, with gray lightning constantly shooting out from the ground, silently tearing through the air and exuding a chilling aura of destruction, turning the surrounding area into a oppressive land of lightning.
That place is Thunder Demon Mountain.
"We've arrived. You all wait here. I'll go down and check the situation first."
Lu Yu stared at the mountain in front of him, which was filled with ominous gray lightning, and gave instructions to Zi Yan and Little Fairy Doctor beside him.
Although the two women were somewhat worried, they knew that Lu Yu was a reliable person and his strength was unfathomable, so they nodded as instructed, concealed their auras, and found a relatively secluded spot behind a charred rock to stand.
Lu Yu flashed and silently arrived above Thunder Demon Mountain. From the high vantage point, the view was even clearer.
On the surface of the black mountain, there was a huge crack, as if it had been cleaved by a giant blade. It was about a thousand feet long and several tens of feet wide, with jagged edges and bottomless depth.
The dark fissure resembled a gaping maw ready to devour its prey, emanating an unsettling aura. A continuous rumble of thunder echoed from the depths of this abyss, causing the surrounding earth to tremble.
"Thunder Demon Abyss————"
Lu Yu murmured the name. According to the simulation information, the remains of the Heart Demon Thunder Emperor were located in the deepest part of this Thunder Demon Abyss.
The gray lightning that permeates the abyss, and the exotic lightning contained within it, are probably all related to that ancient ferocious demon.
He didn't rush in immediately. With a slight thought, a soft "hum" rang out around him, and a layer of pure, clear flames, as if formed from crystal, rose from within him, quickly enveloping his entire body.
It was the Holy Floating Fire that protected him, making it difficult for ordinary demonic energy and the aftershocks of thunder to harm him in the slightest.
After making preparations, Lu Yu no longer hesitated. His figure transformed into a crystal-colored stream of light and leaped straight into the deep and unfathomable Thunder Demon Abyss!
Deep rumbles of thunder echoed from the darkness. Lu Yu, surrounded by crystal-colored Holy Floating Flame, plummeted rapidly. In just a dozen breaths, he had descended ten thousand feet underground.
However, from the moment he stepped into the Thunder Demon Abyss, what he saw around him was no longer the pure gray of the mountain surface, but gradually turned into a more intense gray-black lightning, which was the Earth Demon Lightning.
This kind of lightning is quite peculiar, as it is closely connected to the earth's pulse. Once fully activated, it can not only release violent lightning power, but also cause the earth's veins to tremble, easily cracking the earth and causing a major earthquake comparable to a natural disaster.
The deeper one goes, the denser and more violent the earth-shattering lightning becomes. Like living, gray pythons, it thrashes and bursts wildly in the crevices of the rock walls and in the void, each eruption accompanied by a muffled thunderous sound that makes the rock walls tremble.
Lu Yu continued his descent without slowing down. At the bottom of the abyss, the dense darkness seemed to be completely filled with gray-black lightning, transforming into a boundless and surging ocean of lightning!
Dark lightning surged wildly beneath the sea's surface, emanating destructive energy powerful enough to send chills down the spines of even supreme experts. This vast sea of lightning was entirely formed from the purest and most refined earth demonic lightning.
Lu Yu hovered above the sea of lightning, the Holy Floating Flame flickering slightly, silently purifying the gray lightning arcs that attempted to encroach. His powerful soul force pierced through the raging lightning, carefully sensing its power.
In the core of the sea of thunder, in the area where the energy was most chaotic and violent, he instantly detected a different kind of fluctuation—a special kind of thunder that was more profound and pure, and contained strong spiritual erosion and eerie thunder sounds!
"Netherworld Heart Demon Lightning—" Lu Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Immediately, with a thought, the Holy Floating Fire around his body shone brightly, like a crystal sword, and fiercely pierced into the Earth Demon Thunder Sea that was enough to annihilate ordinary supreme beings.
In the blink of an eye, a relatively "calm" area appeared before him deep within the sea of thunder.
Here, the earth's demonic lightning seemed to worship, swirling around a strange bolt of lightning only as thick as a human arm, yet entirely formless and intangible.
It floated silently, its spiritual corrosive power still immature, clearly indicating that it had only recently been born, lacked intelligence, and did not know how to restrain its unique aura.
"The newly born Netherworld Demonic Lightning?"
Lu Yu pondered for a moment. Although the lightning was of a high grade and had great potential, it was only equivalent to the power of an ordinary supreme being at this moment, and its effect on him was really limited.
His gaze was drawn more towards the broken monument standing quietly at the bottom of the sea of lightning beneath the Netherworld Demonic Lightning.
With a wave of his hand, the Holy Floating Fire transformed into a gentle force, rolling the broken stone tablet towards him.
The stone tablet is about half a person's height, and its entire body is dark. Its surface is covered with dense, crisscrossing cracks and weathering marks, making it look particularly weathered and ancient.
On the dark surface of the monument, one can vaguely see some mottled, ancient characters and strange patterns that seem to be naturally formed yet also engraved, exuding a peculiar aura that has endured through the ages.
Lu Yu's gaze fell upon the very top of the stele. There, several ancient and clearly visible characters, though weathered by the passage of time, were still discernible: "Supreme Heart Demon Scripture—"
Lu Yu read it aloud softly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. This was precisely the famous technique that the Heart Demon Thunder Emperor had relied on to rampage through the ancient times, striking fear into the hearts of countless powerful figures!
"This should be it—"
He was certain that this broken stele itself was the core carrier of the Heart Demon Thunder Emperor's fame and inheritance. Although it was incomplete, it was still very valuable and worth learning from and comprehending.
Without further hesitation, Lu Yu activated the Holy Floating Fire, transforming it into a gentle force. He carefully collected the broken stone tablet, which exuded a desolate demonic power, and placed it into his Qiankun Bracelet for secure sealing.
After carefully collecting the broken stele, he did not leave immediately. Based on the information obtained from the simulation, and the fact that the Netherworld Demonic Lightning and the broken stele coexisted in this place, this was likely just the outer perimeter or entrance marker of the Netherworld Demonic Lightning Emperor's ruins.
The true core of the ruins, or its final resting place and sealing location, should be in another space.
He hovered deep within the sea of lightning, his powerful soul force radiating outwards from the location of the broken monument and the Netherworld Demon Lightning.
Especially deep underground, we explored carefully.
Although the Earth Demon Lightning was violent, its energy flow was not entirely disordered. With his soul power's subtle perception, Lu Yu quickly discovered that the energy of the surrounding sea of lightning seemed to be faintly converging and settling in a certain direction, or rather, a certain "point," at an extremely slow speed.
"The energy flow is suspicious."
He followed the barely perceptible energy flow and concentrated his soul power at the bottom of the sea of thunder, in the area directly below the Netherworld Heart Demon Thunder.
The rock formations there seemed slightly different from those elsewhere; they weren't hard, black rocks, but rather a deeper, more profound sense of "nothingness," as if they could absorb all light and perception.
"A spatial node? Or a concealment restriction?"
Lu Yu's eyes narrowed. He did not approach rashly, but instead raised his right hand, which was enveloped in the Holy Floating Fire, and pointed it like a sword, aiming it at the "nothingness" area.
He vividly remembered his experience of being tricked and possessed by the remnant soul of the inner demon Thunder Emperor in the simulation. Such an ancient and ferocious demon, even if only a remnant soul remains, should not be underestimated in its arrangements. The entrance is often fraught with danger and hidden killing intent.
"Instead of risking going in, why not—just break it open and see!"
With his mind made up, Lu Yu's vast spiritual power surged within his body. In his dantian, the "Tai Ling Sword Pill" suddenly lit up, and a brilliant sword intent as bright as the sun, yet refined to the extreme, burst forth from his fingertips!
The divine light shines through the heavens!
"You bastard, take this!"
With Lu Yu's low shout, the peerless sword light, containing endless sharpness and majestic power, slammed into the "void" rock layer!
Just as the sword light touched the barrier, an ancient, rage-filled consciousness, seemingly spanning countless ages, akin to a dying serpent, suddenly awoke from the depths of that "nothingness" and cried out urgently, "Young man, wait!"
However, before this lingering regret could finish speaking—
"Boom!"
The next moment, the entire Thunder Demon Abyss exploded with a deafening roar. The tough concealment barrier, along with the sinister restrictions hidden within, was brutally torn apart and destroyed like paper in the face of the peerless sword light.
The aged mind only had time to utter a short, mournful cry before being completely overwhelmed by the violent energy turbulence.
The moment the barrier shattered, it was as if a switch dormant for millennia had been triggered: "BOOM!!!"
An even more dazzling beam of light, woven from pure inner demon lightning and brilliant sword light, shot into the sky from the shattered spot, instantly piercing through the entire sea of demon lightning on the earth!
It even burst out of the Thunder Demon Abyss, turning the dark gray sky above into an eerie purplish-black!
Wherever the beam of light passed, the raging earth-shattering lightning retreated and vanished. At the center of the beam, the outline of a building was rapidly solidifying, becoming incredibly clear and tangible!
It was a magnificent palace, its entire body a deep, dark purple, as if forged from demonic metal and lightning.
The palace was covered with twisted black lightning patterns, and the eaves and corners of the palace were shrouded in the shadows of demons and flashing lightning runes. The main gate of the palace was tightly closed, and above the door was engraved a huge, slowly rotating "Eye of Demonic Lightning", which coldly stared at the outside world.
The Thunder Palace of the Inner Demon! The peerless sacred artifact that the Thunder Emperor of the Inner Demon relied on to rampage through ancient times!
As the Thunder Palace of the Inner Demon fully manifested, a terrifying pressure, a thousand times clearer and more violent than before, surged forth like a tangible tide, sweeping across the entire sky.
The malice and fury emanating from the "Eye of Demonic Lightning" almost froze into ice, freezing the space itself.
"Old man, after hiding for so long, I've finally lifted the lid of your coffin."
Lu Yu stood amidst the raging aftershocks of energy, his body ablaze with Sacred Flame, which incinerated all the encroaching turbulence. His gaze was icy as he stared at the dark purple palace that emanated an overwhelming aura of malevolence.