Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion

Void walked out with his slaves. The room that once felt normal, or even small, to him now appeared massive—huge, in fact.

As they approached the door, Void withdrew his sword. It shrank with him, now only 1.2 meters in length. He used it to slice open a space and finally stepped outside.

The building he found himself in was enormous for a being of his current size. It was akin to an ant staring up at a small house.

Void sighed in frustration. He could have used the second layer of space to appear tens of thousands of light years away instantly, as distance shrinks drastically in the second layer. What is 1 kilometer in the first layer is reduced to just 1 meter in the second layer, while your speed remains unaffected.

But now, he had to travel those thousands of light years at the first layer of space's slower pace.

Still, he preferred it this way. The second layer was dark and lonely, with an eerie sense of dread every time he passed through it. It was almost as if the past was trying to communicate with him, reminding him of something long forgotten.

"System, what's the origin of these space layers?" Void asked as he and his slaves flew away from the king's abode, choosing a random direction.

(Host, insufficient data to provide an answer.)

"Hmph. I guess I'll find out when I'm stronger," Void said with a smile.

(Affirmative.)

"This will be a long flight," he remarked to Linkir and Anya. In his demon form, he had glimpsed the sheer size of the kingdom. It would probably take days just to exit its borders. However, as an Aeron and a primordial demon, both Void and his slaves were more than prepared for the journey.

***

A man, cloaked in black, walked along a crowded road. His dark attire sharply contrasted with the bright, flashy clothing of the people around him. He entered an inn quietly.

"A glass of... jushsj," the man said, his tone calm. The innkeeper smiled.

"Coming right up, sir," the bartender replied, turning to mix a cocktail.

The man's expression remained neutral, though his eyes gleamed with an unsettling light.

A small cup filled with an odd liquid was placed in front of him. "Enjoy," the bartender said with a grin. The man took the cup and downed it in one swift motion.

"...Damn..." he muttered, placing the cup back on the table before sliding over a gold coin. The bartender's smile widened—this was clearly a wealthy customer.

The man left the inn, surveying the bustling streets where humans soared through the air on swords.

"Did you hear? The Quinlan Sect is recruiting again, preparing for the war," someone nearby said.

"You mean it? I should sign up quickly," another voice responded.

"Do you want to die? You'll just be cannon fodder if you're recruited."

"Maybe so, but at least my family will be taken care of when I'm gone."

"I'd join too, but I just got married," came the reply, followed by laughter.

The man overheard the conversation as he walked by, his expression unchanged. He muttered to himself, "The Quinlan Sect, huh?"

"This war... it might be my chance to devour more quickly," he thought as he stopped a woman passing by.

"Can you tell me the way to the Quinlan Sect?" he asked.

The woman looked up, startled by his striking face. "Why would a handsome young man like you want to throw your life away? I could take care of you..." she suggested, as it was common knowledge that joining a sect during wartime was a death sentence.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for the concern. Can you tell me the direction?" the man smiled, and the woman reluctantly pointed him the way.

"Thank you," the man said as his expression returned to its former plainness.

***

On Dragon Island, dragons of all kinds—golden, red, white, and more—flew about. In the island's central region, massive dragons, hundreds of meters long, gathered to discuss the ongoing war.

"Why do you think the giants started this war?" one elder dragon asked.

"We've investigated. All we know is that it began because of a single being. Who or what that being is, we do not know," another elder replied.

"So, what now? Who should we ally with?" a younger dragon asked, clearly uncertain.

"The elf race, perhaps?" one suggested.

"They're too weak," an elder dismissed.

"The ogres?"

"No, too stupid."

"The orcs?"

"No!" all the dragons roared at once. "Those disgusting, lustful creatures."

"What about humans?" one elder finally asked.

A heavy silence followed, broken only by a deep, low voice.

"They took my son. We will ally with them," the dragon ancestor declared.

***

At the Quinlan Sect...

This was the stereotypical image of an immortal cultivation sect: flying swords, pure white robes—nonsense, in Shen Ye's opinion.

The man in black removed his hood, revealing his face. It was none other than Shen Ye. Three months had passed since the incident that had changed his life, making him more mature. Though he knew of the war, the reasons behind it remained a mystery, even to those higher up.

Shen Ye sighed as he approached the sect's gates, a long line of hopefuls waiting to enter.

"I'm really going to start cultivating, aren't I? Ugh, what a drag," Shen Ye muttered in disgust. He despised cultivation sects for one reason: the brainless fools who always wanted to pick fights. They'd provoke you without reason, and when you killed them, a stronger one would show up. It was a never-ending cycle.

"Am I some kind of protagonist?" Shen Ye thought, lining up with a sense of frustration.

Just then, a loud voice boomed, "The young master of the Shinlong Kingdom is here!" A chariot rolled forward, cutting through the line and heading directly toward Shen Ye.

Frowning, Shen Ye stepped aside as the chariot passed. The curtains parted for a moment, revealing the young master inside, his hands groping a woman's body as he gazed out arrogantly.

A few meters ahead, the chariot came to a halt. The young master stepped out and approached the gate, ignoring the line.

"I am Chu, let me in," the young master demanded, his servants bowing beside him. But the gatekeeper merely cast him a glance.

"Get in line," the gatekeeper said, unimpressed.

Frustrated, Chu prepared to lash out, but his servant whispered something in his ear. The young master smiled, nodding as he moved to the back of the line, passing Shen Ye.

Moments later, Shen Ye noticed the people behind him willingly giving up their spots to Chu. It was now his turn to enter.

Shen Ye sighed, moving forward reluctantly. He wanted to avoid trouble, but Chu, seeing the indifference in Shen Ye's eyes, became enraged.

"How dare you!" Chu shouted.

"Oh, come on. Not this again," Shen Ye thought, his frustration mounting.

"See, young master.... Chu, I've already moved away. Just continue, alright?" Shen Ye said calmly.

"Are you commanding me?" Chu replied, his expression cold.

Shen Ye hated this. Was this the so-called 'MC halo'? He had just started his journey, aiming to sign upand enter, but now this...

Shen Ye glanced at Chu and quickly lost interest. This young master was a waste.

"I didn't want to cause trouble, but let's just get this over with," Shen Ye said calmly. His MC halo will probably draw in trouble, but he was ready.

Hearing this, Chu and the others were stunned. What was this boy talking about?

Shen Ye raised his hand and struck. Chu couldn't even scream as his body turned into a blood mist. Shen Ye then swiftly dealt with the servants, killing them all with ease.

After finishing, Shen Ye calmly placed his hands on the ground, scanning the area. He expected the prince of a kingdom to have a protector, but given Chu's reputation, it seemed no one had thought to defend him.

Looking up at the sky, Shen Ye muttered, "The MC halo again."

The crowd watching was in shock, while the man at the front raised an eyebrow.

He wasn't concerned about the waste of a prince but rather intrigued by Shen Ye's strength.

"Boy, just how strong are you?" the man asked, unable to sense Shen Ye's true level due to his devouring ability masking it.

"Peak rank 0," Shen Ye answered, causing gasps throughout the line. This was a king in a small region!

"Hmph," the man chuckled, flicking his fingers as a tiny dot of energy appeared before Shen Ye.

Shen Ye calmly raised a hand, grabbing it, and the energy disappeared, devoured in seconds.

The man thought Shen Ye had destroyed it and laughed. This energy could have wiped out everyone here, but Shen Ye handled it so easily, confirming his peak rank 0 strength, perhaps even approaching quasi-rank 1.

"Step forward," the man commanded, and Shen Ye nodded, walking to the front, still thinking.

"MC halo again," he mused.

"Enter," the man laughed, and Shen Ye, not bothering with more words, stepped through.

As a former human from Earth, Shen Ye had seen a lot through manga and such, but this sect was breathtaking—beautiful and enchanting beyond what he imagined.

Now, Shen Ye was confused. Where should he go? He saw another person enter and turn right. Without hesitation, he followed, but strangely, the person vanished, and suddenly, Shen Ye found himself climbing a mountain.

"What the...?"

Shen Ye was baffled. He only wanted to join the war, get stronger, devour enemies, find Void, kill him, and save his sister. After that... he wasn't sure. Maybe explore the world outside.

But here he was, climbing a mountain. Soon, he reached the top and found two people: a man teaching a woman, who was nodding attentively.

The woman was an ice-cold beauty, the most stunning girl he had seen, even more so than Linkir.

"Master, we have a guest," the woman interrupted her master's teaching, making him turn around.

Seeing the man's face, Shen Ye sighed. This was the typical trope: an unserious master who looked weak but was likely the strongest in the sect, or even the world. And, of course, a senior sister as a bonus.

"Oh, a guest? No... this is your junior brother," the man said with a smile. He was handsome, with an otherworldly charm, dressed casually, and radiated a carefree aura.

"What?!" the woman exclaimed, but the man didn't give her time to argue. He pulled out a gourd and took a sip.

"Ah, good wine," the man muttered, already looking tipsy from just one sip.

"Welcome, second disciple," the man said, then vanished.

"Master!" the woman called, standing up, but he was already gone.

Shen Ye's jaw dropped. This master was even more unreliable than he expected. He didn't even perform the formal disciple acceptance ceremony. He just made him a disciple on the spot.

The woman looked at Shen Ye coldly and walked past him.

"Follow me," she said icily.

"Huh? Why?" Shen Ye snapped out of his stupor. He was already worried about how unreliable this new master would be and how it might affect his plan to grow stronger.

"I need to welcome my useless brother," the woman said, and Shen Ye had a bad feeling about this.

"Wait, what's your brother's name?" Shen Ye asked hurriedly as they descended the celestial mountain, the breathtaking scenery surrounding them. There were two small huts, likely for the master and the senior sister.

"Chu," she replied, and Shen Ye felt as if the heavens were against him.

"MC halo again."

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"Why do you ask?" the woman questioned, frowning.

"No reason," Shen Ye replied, deep in thought, wondering how he would survive this.

The woman ignored his evasiveness but remained suspicious.

High above the clouds, two beings—one large and one small—watched the pair.

"Who do you think will become the strongest?" the man asked, sipping his wine.

Beside him was a small creature with wings, claws, and a horse-like jaw—a small dragon.

The dragon let out a cute roar, its eyes fixed on the gourd in the man's hand.

"Yes, you're right. Maybe both of them. Only those with supreme luck could pass my formation and climb the mountain," the man said, pausing as he raised the gourd higher.

"No wine for you. You're underage," the man teased. "Your father would be pissed," he laughed.

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