DEMON SOVEREIGN'S REIGN

Darkness hung over Huoling like a mourning shroud. The illusion Liu Shen had cast had yet to fade from the minds of the people, and whispers of divine intervention filled every tea house and brothel. But while the commoners trembled in awe or fear, the core of the Hollow Empire stirred with a more dangerous energy—ambition.

Liu Shen stood on a cliffside as dawn broke, overlooking the Imperial Altar in the distance. It now pulsed faintly with pale golden light, evidence that the rituals had already begun. The Empress had taken the bait. Soon, the gate to the Abyss would crack open.

Behind him, Lei Qing adjusted his blade harness, his usually sharp eyes full of hesitation. "Once we descend, we may lose contact with the surface. There's no telling how deep the Abyss runs."

"We won't need the surface," Liu Shen said. "Everything we need is below."

Yu Meixing arrived, her robes rustling softly as she walked. Her expression was calm, but her spiritual aura had shifted—denser, more attuned. She had meditated the entire night, harmonizing the soul-threads she'd recovered within the Sect of Shadows. Liu Shen could feel her strength rising. Soon, she'd reclaim her full power as the Ninth Shadow.

She looked at him. "The Empress has sent soldiers to surround the altar. But none have dared enter it yet. They fear divine punishment."

"Good," Liu Shen replied. "Then we'll pass unnoticed while they pray for salvation."

By mid-morning, they had reached the city's edge. Their infiltration was silent. The ancient formation disks they'd acquired from the Shadow Sect were masterpieces of illusion and misdirection. Guard patrols walked within paces of them without sensing a thing.

The Imperial Altar stood like a beacon at the center of Huoling, surrounded by layers of celestial jade and blessed gold, guarded by arrays so ancient they hummed with the breath of gods. But Liu Shen's group slipped through them with the ease of ghosts.

They reached the inner sanctum just as the ceremonial guards began their chant. The priests wore white flame-embroidered robes, their voices deep and rhythmic. Incense rose like silver mist, and golden symbols appeared midair, dancing in harmony.

Yu Meixing frowned. "They're opening the gate already."

"No," Liu Shen whispered. "They're weakening the barrier. It takes more than chant and incense to unseal the Abyss."

He moved forward, placing his hand on the altar stone. A subtle resonance met his palm—ancient, alive, and hungry. The seal was reacting to him, recognizing him. It was the same energy that once tried to devour him in his past life. But this time, he was prepared.

He began to channel demonic energy into the stone, layer by layer, twisting it just enough to alter the frequency of the ongoing ritual. The chanting faltered. Several priests stumbled.

One collapsed outright, blood leaking from his eyes.

"The heavens reject us!" a priest cried. Panic spread.

Liu Shen stepped back into the shadows with his companions as the Empress herself arrived, descending the jade steps with a retinue of golden-robed guards. Her presence stilled the chaos instantly. She walked up to the altar, gazed at the bloodied priests, then looked to the sky.

"Your will is unclear," she murmured aloud. "But I shall obey it nonetheless."

She drew a dagger from her sleeve and sliced her palm. Crimson blood poured onto the altar. The symbols in the air shifted. The seal responded.

With a thunderous groan, the altar split down the middle. A spiral staircase descended into obsidian darkness.

Liu Shen's eyes gleamed. "It's time."

They waited until the Empress and her guards entered the Abyss before moving. Hua Jilan cloaked their approach in shadows so dense even light gave up trying to penetrate it. Elder Qin followed last, weaving spatial runes behind them to confuse any who attempted to track them.

As they descended, the air grew heavier. The steps were not stone—they were bone. Ancient bones fused into structure, some human, some far older. Symbols were etched into every step, not for decoration but as warnings. Warnings that they were no longer in the mortal world.

At the bottom of the spiral stood a vast chamber. It was not carved but grown, shaped from living flesh and pulsing mineral veins. In the center, a vast gate stood upright, over twenty meters tall. Black as ink, yet shimmering with violet hues, it exuded a pressure that made their souls shudder.

The Empress stood before it, her back to them, arms raised.

"O Gate of the Fallen Sky, I offer blood and lineage. Open the path to judgment."

Her voice echoed with ancient weight.

The gate stirred.

A massive eye opened in its center—red, slit-pupiled, and ancient beyond time.

It looked past the Empress.

And locked onto Liu Shen.

The air froze. Every guard turned. Swords rang out.

The Empress turned slowly, her gaze meeting Liu Shen's across the chamber. For a long moment, there was no recognition—then it came like a crashing wave.

"You..."

Liu Shen took a step forward, not bothering to hide his killing intent. "Hello again, Zhao Ying."

The Eye in the gate pulsed violently.

And the Abyss opened.