Sam Li was the first to step into the Abyssal domain. Venti, the Traveler, Nicole, Billy, March 7th, Himeko, Xilonen, and the others followed closely behind.
The instant they crossed into the "Abyss," the world around them changed abruptly.
The scenery of the Night Kingdom vanished in an instant, replaced by another dark world entirely. Blackened hills rose all around them, scattered with jagged rocks and piles of unknown skeletal remains…
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but deathly silence.
Suddenly, Himeko seemed to sense something. Her brows knit tightly.
"This is destructive energy," she said gravely. "This area has already been occupied by the Antimatter Legion."
As soon as she spoke, March 7th, the Trailblazer, Dan Heng, and the others all sensed the abnormality in their surroundings.
Before coming here, they had already heard from Sam Li and Venti that the so-called black calamity was caused by the Antimatter Legion and the Lord Ravagers.
But standing in this Abyss saturated with destructive energy, they were still shaken.
This place was the frontline battlefield of the Antimatter Legion.
They had encountered small Antimatter Legion forces before, but never such an overwhelming concentration of destruction.
There had to be a massive number of Antimatter Legion entities here.
And… even more terrifying enemies might be waiting for them.
At that thought, March 7th instinctively tightened her grip on her sword, one hand resting on the hilt, ready to fight at any moment.
Paimon seemed especially sensitive to the destructive energy. She shivered involuntarily.
"It's so cold here…"
Nekomata couldn't help asking, "So where exactly is Mavuika? How are we supposed to find her in a place like this?"
It was everyone's first time here. Finding Mavuika in a world flooded with destructive energy was indeed a serious problem.
At that moment, Sam Li turned his gaze toward Venti.
"It's up to you."
Venti smiled faintly. "Ehe, leave something like this to me. If we run into enemies later, though, I'll be counting on you."
As he spoke, Venti lightly waved a hand. A brand-new lyre appeared instantly in his grasp.
He closed his eyes and began to play softly.
The sound of the lyre spread far into the distance, while Venti listened intently for the echoes returning from afar.
But in the very next instant—
As if something had sensed their presence, Venti's eyes snapped open and his expression changed sharply.
"Watch the ground—move!"
"Fall back!"
The moment his words ended, Venti flung both hands outward. A violent gale erupted around them, sweeping Nicole, Billy, March 7th, Himeko, the Traveler, Xilonen, and the others up and hurling them backward at high speed.
The change was far too sudden.
Billy, Nicole, March 7th, Xilonen, the Traveler, Paimon, and the others felt the world spin violently, barely understanding what had just happened.
Before they could even land—
Black smoke began pouring out from the heaps of skeletal remains on the ground. The Traveler had just steadied herself when she saw the pitch-black smoke filled with destructive energy.
"What is that?"
"An enemy—!"
Venti didn't know exactly what kind of enemy it was either, but he could clearly sense an aura he would never forget—the same stench of destruction, resentment, and filth that had filled the world five hundred years ago.
It was only while playing his lyre and searching for Mavuika that he had sensed this presence beneath the piled-up bones.
The next second, as everyone landed, they all turned their attention toward the heaps of withered bones ahead.
Suddenly, Nekomata cried out in shock.
"They're moving! Those bones are coming alive!"
March 7th looked completely baffled. "What's going on? Is this the Antimatter Legion?"
Himeko's expression turned solemn. "The destructive aura is far too intense. This isn't an ordinary Antimatter Legion unit. Everyone, stay alert."
Just as Himeko said, the sheer density of that pitch-black destructive energy was something no ordinary Antimatter Legion member could compare to.
Under the group's stunned gazes, the scattered bones on the ground began to float up one by one, drawn together by destructive energy and gradually assembling.
Not only that—bones from even farther away began to converge as well.
In the blink of an eye, the chaotic piles of skeletal remains had fused into a colossal dragon tens of meters tall, its massive body formed entirely from countless bones.
Whooo—
Hundreds of wailing spirits gathered around the dragon, their cries filled with grief, despair, agony, and hatred.
The next moment, the exposed skeletal dragon spread its wings and slowly rose into the air.
Instantly, violent winds swept through the area as waves of destructive energy surged outward.
Seeing this, Sam Li and Venti both frowned.
Nearby, Nicole, Billy, Xilonen, March 7th, the Traveler, and the others were visibly shaken, their eyes wide with shock.
What was that?
Where had such an enemy come from?
Himeko immediately tensed. "Everyone, be careful—it's a Doomsday Beast."
And not just any Doomsday Beast.
This one was an elite among them. The destructive energy radiating from it alone was enough to leave anyone shaken.
The Astral Express crew had encountered a Doomsday Beast before.
But compared to the one before them now, that previous enemy's presence was clearly far weaker. That was why Himeko was treating this situation with such gravity.
Before anyone could ask further about the Doomsday Beast, the dragon-shaped monster hovering in midair opened its massive jaws and unleashed a beam of pure destructive energy straight toward them.
At the critical moment, Sam Li immediately activated the Jade Shield, placing himself in front of everyone and blocking the attack head-on.
"This enemy is extremely dangerous," he said calmly. "Fall back for now."
Sam Li could clearly feel it—this Doomsday Beast was far more terrifying than even the demon gods of the Archon War.
Especially its destructive energy, which was actively corroding the Jade Shield.
As his words fell, Sam Li summoned the Vortex Vanquisher and took a step forward, instantly appearing in midair.
He faced the Doomsday Beast directly.
In an instant, the Geo energy he released collided violently with the destructive energy surging from the monster.
Sam Li murmured, "Geo Spears."
At once, the surrounding Geo energy converged, forming hundreds of massive Geo spears. With a simple wave of his hand, countless spears shot forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every single spear struck the Doomsday Beast and exploded on impact.
The monster let out a furious howl, erupting with even more destructive energy. It beat its enormous black skeletal wings, once again conjuring a storm formed entirely of annihilating power.
Summoning a storm in front of the Anemo Archon—
Venti naturally wouldn't stand by and watch.
He raised his lyre with one hand and strummed rapidly with the other.
In an instant, an even more overwhelming storm surged forward, crashing straight toward the Doomsday Beast.