At the site of the former Holy City.
Upon the snow-white mountain ridge of the Alps, the once magnificent and sacred city had long since disappeared. In its place stood a colossal pitch-black gate, towering between heaven and earth, rising straight into the clouds.
Rumble!!
On the distant horizon, one majestic fortress after another drifted through the void before entering this region. Their metallic bodies gleamed with the luster of steel, the power of the Metal Element perfectly integrated into their technology, making them appear indestructible and eternal, creating an incomparably awe-inspiring sight.
It was as if nine continents of steel had risen into the sky, with millions of mages busily working upon them.
The dark gate resembled an abyssal black hole. It opened its monstrous maw as an overwhelming force of devouring erupted, swallowing all nine floating fortresses in a single gulp. The heavens churned violently before falling eerily silent.
Lu Jun's vision darkened as he led the expeditionary army into the boundless black cosmos beneath a sky filled with countless stars. The magical cities roared as they flew into the distance. The ground below was formed from strange, translucent crystals as thin as ice, reflecting the colossal floating cities above and the countless mages within them.
Although an immense shadow covered the sky, it still could not conceal the reflections of the human mages upon the crystal-like ground.
The countless mages aboard the floating fortresses were tense. Their minds were filled with wild thoughts, excitement, and curiosity. This was humanity's first interplanar campaign, a pioneering step that would reshape history. The true face of the Dark Plane was finally about to be revealed.
They looked around and discovered bizarre creatures floating throughout heaven and earth. Some were masses of black mist embedded with countless eyes, while others resembled enormous black flowers covered entirely in sharp teeth. Every one of them looked grotesque and incomprehensible.
As the nine majestic floating fortresses descended, many native creatures of the Dark Plane were instantly crushed to pieces. Those that survived fled in terror in every direction.
However, the human mages soon noticed something even more astonishing.
The icy crystal ground did not reflect everyone with their normal appearance. A few of their colleagues instead appeared as eerie skeletal figures.
"Damn! What is that? Have you all been cursed by the power of the Dark Plane?"
The strange phenomenon immediately caused panic among the crowd.
Before long, members of the Military Strategy Guard began patrolling through the fortresses, loudly reassuring everyone.
"Do not panic. This is a unique phenomenon of the Dark Plane known as Bone Reflection. It manifests the skeletal image corresponding to each human, representing your status within the Dark Plane."
"The more magnificent your Bone Reflection, the higher your status in the Dark Plane."
Upon hearing that, someone asked curiously,
"Then what about people without a Bone Reflection?"
A Military Strategy Guard immediately replied,
"If your reflection still shows your original appearance instead of a Bone Reflection, then you're generally considered to be at the very bottom of the hierarchy in the Dark Plane."
The questioner instantly fell silent.
"So I'm just cannon fodder..."
While his colleagues laughed at his misfortune, the guard suddenly realized something and quickly added,
"Don't misunderstand. Only those who cultivate Dark Magic can manifest a Bone Reflection in the Dark Plane. Those of us who specialize in other magic systems don't have one either. Look at me."
Only then did everyone finally understand.
After observing more carefully, they discovered that everyone possessing a Bone Reflection was indeed a Dark Mage. The grander the skeletal manifestation, the deeper that person's mastery of Dark Magic.
At the summit of one floating fortress, Lu Jun glanced at those around him.
Nearly every Forbidden Curse Dark Mage possessed the Bone Reflection of a Fallen Angel.
Only he and Mo Fan were exceptions.
Despite being the two individuals who had cultivated all four branches of Dark Magic to the highest level, the icy crystal beneath them still reflected their ordinary appearances.
Mo Fan scratched his head.
"That doesn't make sense. I'm the Evil Holy King!"
Lu Jun calmly replied.
"With power at our level, even the laws of the Dark Plane must yield. Naturally, they don't dare reflect our true forms."
"Haha!"
Mo Fan grinned from ear to ear.
"Now that's an explanation I like."
The nine colossal floating cities swiftly crossed the desolate Exile Zone, a hellish wasteland devoid of life.
Ninety-five percent of the Dark Plane consisted of the Exile Zone, essentially an endless barren wilderness. In the original timeline, this was exactly where Su Lu had fallen.
In truth, Lu Jun had never known much about the Dark Plane. Only after obtaining the position of the Underworld King and allowing his divine consciousness to roam throughout the Dark Plane, gathering information from every corner, had he gradually come to understand it.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Following an instinctive sense of guidance, he gazed into the distance.
The endless black mist suddenly retreated.
A vast palace complex stretching across countless mountain ranges rose majestically into view.
Ancient.
Majestic.
Yet radiating an entirely different kind of supreme nobility.
Its colors blended dreamlike silver-black, dark gold, black rose, and crimson-red like blooming Lycoris flowers.
Millions of palaces together resembled the divine underworld itself, grand and awe-inspiring.
The mages within the nine floating cities were utterly stunned by the masterpiece before them.
No one spoke.
The Dark Plane possessed a glorious civilization as well.
At the summit of the endless palace complex, more than a dozen towering figures had clearly been waiting there for quite some time.
Lu Jun looked down upon these so-called Dark Kings.
Each possessed a completely different appearance.
Some were graceful women whose entire bodies shone with brilliant crimson.
Others were solemn middle-aged men carrying an ancient and imposing aura.
With only a brief sweep of his senses, Lu Jun immediately recognized two or three familiar faces.
The Holy Son Wentai stood quietly at the outermost edge, his figure concealed beneath black robes.
There was also the Blood King, whose long dress was woven from brilliant crimson flowers. She was responsible for lending Dark Magic to countless worlds.
Every one of them possessed an aura comparable to that of a Roof Emperor.
Each had an independent personality and distinct authority.
They were both avatars of the Dark King and independent individuals in their own right.
Because the Dark Plane was connected to countless worlds, the Dark King's divine might was beyond imagination. Unfortunately, with Lu Jun ascending as the Underworld King and Mo Fan inheriting the Evil Holy King Throne, a significant portion of His authority had been divided away, causing Him to fall from the realm of the Supreme True God.
That said, the Dark King's foundation remained astonishingly profound. The mere fact that He possessed over a dozen incarnations, each one reaching the level of a Roof Emperor, proved as much. When further vertical cultivation had reached its limit, expanding horizontally was undoubtedly an excellent path.
Standing at the forefront, the Dark King's true body blocked the path before the nine colossal Floating Fortresses. In a deep voice, He spoke.
"Underworld King, there has never really been any irreconcilable conflict between us, has there?"
The moment those words were spoken, the tense atmosphere aboard the Floating Fortresses immediately eased.
Everyone stared in bewilderment.
What was this?
A peace negotiation?!
Lu Jun remained expressionless. He was not surprised. The Dark King had once reached the realm of the Supreme True God and naturally understood how terrifying such a realm truly was. It was only natural for Him to seek peace on His own initiative.
The strategic value of the Dark Plane was simply too great. If Lu Jun intended to conquer this region of the multiverse, beginning from here would be far more convenient.
Moreover, while this universe contained countless worlds, the three truly supreme planes were still the Magic Plane, the Summoning Plane, and the Dark Plane. They were all incomparably vast, populated by countless beings, and possessed the highest level of power.
Lu Jun responded with unquestionable authority.
"Whether we have conflicts is irrelevant. From today onward, the Dark Plane will be ruled by me. All of you Dark Kings will relinquish the authorities and responsibilities governing your respective elements."
The moment those words fell, several Dark Kings darkened their expressions. One of them spoke with obvious dissatisfaction,
"Your Excellency is being far too overbearing."
Their strength was fundamentally tied to their respective authorities. By lending Dark Magic and souls across countless worlds, they had gradually accumulated the power necessary to reach their current realms. If they lost those authorities in a single stroke, their cultivation would very likely regress.
Seeing this, Lu Jun could not be bothered wasting words with the Dark Kings any longer.
He raised a hand.
The Floating Fortress beneath him trembled violently as all nine Forbidden Spell cores were activated simultaneously. Countless brilliant magic formations unfolded across the void, blazing with dazzling radiance.
Author's Note:
After reading the latest official side story, I have mixed feelings. It completely overturned the setting that the Dark King possessed countless incarnations, creating far too many contradictions. I can only do my best to reconcile them.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Fairy Tail{30 Chapters}
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