A blue jellyfish quietly appeared, none other than the progenitor of another powerful race in the Underworld.
The elder with the ram's horns looked particularly grim as he stared into the void. "It's close... it's about to break..."
"What's breaking? What are you talking about? Did you even hear what I just said?" The Shadow Demon Progenitor said impatiently.
"The barrier of the Underworld... it's about to be broken..."
The Undead Ancestor spoke in a low voice, his grip tightening unconsciously on his staff.
"Nonsense! The barrier of the Underworld can't possibly... huh? Why have all my Void Blood Demons been slaughtered?! This is bad! Someone is attacking the barrier!"
A frantic, angry roar came from a blood-red tentacled creature.
By now, everyone of importance in the Underworld had arrived.
The Undead Ancestor, Soul Demon, Shadow Demon, Blood Demon, Parasite Demon, and Flash Demon...
The Soul Demon glanced coldly at the Blood Demon, who had just arrived, and the latter snorted in response, but refrained from causing any trouble in this situation.
"An unknown force is trying to break through the barrier we reinforced together. Its power far surpasses any enemy we have faced before."
A ghostly voice rang out as the ancient Undead Ancestor pointed toward the sky.
Hiss
Crackle
A sound resembling electric currents came from the blue jellyfish. Countless arcs of electricity crackled and sparked in the air, twisting through the atmosphere. Any wandering soul that accidentally drifted too close to the jellyfish let out a wail and was disintegrated by the electric arcs.
"Flash Demon, I've painstakingly gathered these souls. Don't start a massacre here. If you're capable, go face that intruding enemy up there."
The Undead Ancestor looked up at the blue jellyfish in the air with displeasure.
To his surprise, the jellyfish let out two soft cries, almost like a little girl sobbing. Its tentacles retracted, shrinking into a ball.
"I'm scared... The mysterious artifact I was crafting was ruined because of that intruder. Ancestor, why don't you go first? I'll cheer you on from here."
A soft, girlish voice came from within the Flash Demon's body. Without seeing its appearance, one might think the voice belonged to a little girl under the age of ten.
The surrounding demons seemed used to this and ignored it, though the Undead Ancestor cast an annoyed glance its way.
Before he could scold the Flash Demon, the sound of ice cracking echoed through the air—a crack rang out, as if something had shattered.
In an instant, a terrifying suction force swept across the land, pulling countless souls from the entire Underworld towards the dark space ahead.
Like a black hole, it absorbed all the souls in an instant.
"You dare court death!!!"
A thunderous roar, like a storm, spread throughout the entire Underworld. The Undead Ancestor was rarely seen in such a furious state. The ram's horns on his head glowed with a chilling red light as a thick beam of crimson energy shot out, piercing directly into the dark space ahead.
The surrounding demons were all shocked, not only by the sudden catastrophic change but also by the Undead Ancestor's reaction.
It had been tens of thousands of years since they had last seen the Undead Ancestor unleash that move—his most powerful attack, drawn from his most precious artifact.
The fact that he had immediately resorted to such a devastating move was telling.
But it was understandable. The complete annihilation of all the souls in the Underworld was equivalent to wiping out their entire future generations in one blow. Anyone would risk everything in such a situation.
The demons fixed their eyes on the dark space ahead, curious to see what changes the Undead Ancestor's strongest attack would bring.
It was also a perfect opportunity to gauge the strength of their unknown enemy. Each of them braced themselves, ready to defend against any sudden crisis.
The Undead Ancestor panted heavily, his form briefly flickering, but he quickly stabilized and regained his composure. His vigilance increased to the maximum.
He now fully understood that the enemy before him might be the greatest threat the Underworld had ever faced. This was, without a doubt, the biggest crisis in its history. A single misstep could lead to total destruction.
He gripped his staff tightly. Inside it was sealed his greatest secret and trump card. If things went any worse, he would have no choice but to use it…
Clang clang
The clear sound of metal echoed from the dark space.
It sounded like chains clanking violently, as though a deeply imprisoned entity was rattling its bonds.
And yet, the Undead Ancestor's most powerful strike seemed to have had no effect.
"Impossible!"
Everyone's faces filled with shock, which slowly turned to dread. If even the Undead Ancestor couldn't handle this enemy, the rest of them together would likely be of no use.
Clang clang
Clang clang
The sound of chains grew louder, resonating deep within their souls. The weight of the moment pressed down on them, filling them with unease.
But inside the darkness, nothing could be seen. None of them could discern what kind of existence was imprisoned there.
Clang
The final clang of the chains was the sharpest, and then there was an eerie silence.
All the demons' hearts raced. Each of them felt as though something monumental was about to happen.
"A world this weak... how could it produce such a being…?"
A deep, resonant voice came from the darkness.