Ambush!
The Ghost Emperor and the Nether Emperor were leading large numbers of evil soul masters from the Holy Spirit Cult in an ambush against numerous Abyssal Monarchs from the Abyssal Plane!
They were still using the World-Destroying Skull previously employed during the bombing of Shrek Academy, but its power now was on a completely different level.
Back then, the skull could only support the power of one quasi-god—the Ghost Emperor—and eight Titled Douluo. But now, it was being controlled by the Holy Spirit Cult's Two Emperors and Four Kings, along with over a thousand high-ranking evil soul masters. Together, they could unleash power comparable to that of a true god.
A massive World-Destroying Skull was piloted by the Two Emperors and Four Kings, with a swarm of smaller purple-flame skulls trailing behind, continuously feeding energy into the main skull.
Thanks to the massive harvest of souls during the war between soul beasts and humanity, the evil soul masters had benefited immensely—not just Nanali. The overall strength of the Holy Spirit Cult had surged to a whole new level.
The Ghost Emperor and Nether Emperor had both advanced their spiritual power to the Divine Origin Realm, transforming their spiritual consciousness into divine consciousness, just like Nanali.
The leader of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Dark Blood Demon, had risen from an ultimate Douluo with demi-god strength to a quasi-god.
The other three of the Four Heavenly Kings—Dark Chime Nanali, Dark Phoenix Leng Yulai, and Dark Hummingbird (father of Long Bing, Wu Zhangkong's lover)—had all broken through to become demi-god-level Ultimate Douluo.
Seven Ultimate Douluo, leading evil soul masters of at least high-level soul power cultivation, were piloting the World-Destroying Skull, using the Blood River God-Slaying Array as support to ambush the Abyssal Monarchs, led by the Spirit Emperor.
Normally, even though the current World-Destroying Skull could unleash divine-level power, the Abyssal Monarchs were no pushovers. The top ten Monarchs were all quasi-gods.
The third layer's Flame Emperor possessed god-level energy. The fourth layer's Demon Emperor had a divine body rivaling the indestructible Golden Body. The Scythe Emperor, also from the fourth layer, wielded claws akin to divine artifacts.
The second layer's Spirit Emperor could absorb fellow abyssal Spirit Dragons, elevating his spiritual power to the third level of the Divine Origin Realm.
This third-level spiritual cultivation alone gave the Spirit Emperor the combat strength of a true god.
Moreover, he was the ruler of the Abyssal Plane's second layer, the left hand of the Abyssal Sacred Monarch, and had the authority to mobilize the plane's core, enabling him to use plane-sealing abilities.
So logically, this should've led to an earth-shattering battle—not a one-sided massacre by the Holy Spirit Cult.
But the reality was, it was a one-sided massacre.
It was as if the Ghost Emperor knew all the Abyssal Monarchs' secrets and weaknesses. As soon as the Monarchs entered the ambush zone within the Blood River God-Slaying Array, the Ghost Emperor began focusing fire on the strongest one: the Spirit Emperor.
The Blood River God-Slaying Array severed the Spirit Emperor's connection to the Abyssal Plane's core, rendering him unable to use plane-sealing abilities.
His few but powerful fellow abyssal Spirit Dragons, each with strength rivaling Titled Douluo, had also been wiped out in a sneak attack by the Holy Spirit Cult. This eliminated any possibility of him absorbing their power to boost his own spiritual energy to the third divine level.
Now, reduced to a mere quasi-god with Divine Origin spiritual power, the Spirit Emperor was no match for the current World-Destroying Skull.
Under multiple barrages from the Ghost Emperor, the Spirit Emperor—second only to the Abyssal Sacred Monarch among all abyssal beings—fell in battle.
Even though abyssal creatures could revive through the Abyssal Plane, a resurrected Spirit Emperor would no longer be himself. He would return as a mindless puppet at quasi-god level.
Other Monarchs like the Flame Emperor and Demon Emperor wanted to save him—but couldn't.
The Holy Spirit Cult had clearly prepared for this ambush meticulously.
The pit opened by the Blood River God-Slaying Array emitted a devouring force like a swamp. Over a hundred Abyssal Monarchs, as powerful as they were, became trapped and immobilized, unable to escape.
They could only watch helplessly as the Ghost Emperor, using the World-Destroying Skull, slaughtered their leader, then began eliminating them one by one.
After slaying the Spirit Emperor, the Ghost Emperor—who had never even met the Flame Emperor—accurately located him next. The Flame Emperor, though second only to the Spirit Emperor in strength, was helpless while immobilized, nothing more than a fish on a chopping board.
Originally, the Flame Emperor had in his possession a super divine weapon, the Heavenly Rift Abyssal Halberd, belonging to the Abyssal Sacred Monarch. With it, he might have broken the stalemate and destroyed the World-Destroying Skull.
But unfortunately, the Monarch had appointed the Wisdom Emperor as vice-commander of the invasion. During the campaign, the Wisdom Emperor had taken the halberd from the Flame Emperor.
Thus, as death loomed, the Flame Emperor's final words were a curse aimed at the Wisdom Emperor.
The Ghost Emperor, extraordinarily familiar with the Abyssal Plane, then began executing the Monarchs one by one according to the 108-layer hierarchy:
The fourth-layer Demon Emperor.The fifth-layer Scythe Emperor.The sixth-layer Wisdom Emperor—missing in action.The seventh layer…Until the ninth-layer Black Emperor perished, and the tenth-layer Sacred Monarch's mount, the Heavenly Bull Emperor, was slain.
Nearly all quasi-god combat power in the Abyssal Plane was wiped out, ringing the death knell for the Monarchs. Without their god-tier support, the remaining Monarchs were no match for the Ghost Emperor and his World-Destroying Skull and fell one after another.
And behind all of this—the architect of the entire ambush—had never truly left the battlefield. He had been watching silently from the shadows the entire time.
A lizard-headed creature lurked in hiding, carrying the Sacred Monarch's Heavenly Rift Abyssal Halberd on his back.
In truth, he couldn't properly wield the power of that super divine weapon.
The Flame Emperor could, due to his god-tier energy, but the Wisdom Emperor couldn't.
But so what?
As long as the Flame Emperor couldn't use it, ensuring his death was all that mattered.
This lizard-headed creature was none other than the missing Wisdom Emperor, ruler of the Abyssal Plane's sixth layer. A master of control and strategy.
His cruel and calculating nature was evident from the fact that his layer of the Abyss contained only him, monopolizing all of its energy—and from how he coldly watched his fellow Monarchs perish under the World-Destroying Skull.
It was this cunning and foresight that made the Wisdom Emperor the one most attuned to the Sacred Monarch's desires.
When he realized that the Sacred Monarch intended to devour the rest of the 107 layers ruled by the other Monarchs, he chose not to unite them against the threat, nor did he warn a single one.
Why?
Because he understood very well: even if all 107 Monarchs banded together, they still wouldn't be a match for one hand of the Abyssal Sacred Monarch.
(End of Chapter)