Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion

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Void slowly opened his eyes, the thrilling discussion among the humans still fresh in his mind, though it had lasted less than two minutes. "Welcome to the Moonlight Auction once again. I am honored to have such distinguished guests among us," a beautiful woman said, her voice dripping with charm. She was glamorous, possessing an alluring presence that made everyone glance twice.

At the center of the stadium stood a raised platform, with part of the building stretching behind it. Everything to be auctioned would be brought out from the building behind the platform. Void noticed the crowd already seated, while a large screen displayed the host for all to see. Though Void and other powerhouses could see her clearly without it, the screen was a luxury for those less gifted.

The young man beside Void raised his hand, signaling the girls giving him a massage to stop. They bowed before retreating to the walls.

"I hope something catches your interest," the young man tried to strike up a conversation.

"Perhaps I've already seen something," Void replied with a smirk.

The young man glanced at the host's curvaceous figure on the platform and smiled playfully. She was like a forbidden fruit—visible, but untouchable. Many had tried to claim her, but all had failed, one after the other.

"Our first item today is a painting," the host began. "This was created by a powerhouse before he left his universe. It contains all his insights and dates back hundreds of thousands of years. We stumbled upon it by chance and brought it here for auction. Sadly, the painting is incomplete. A great war broke out over it, and it was torn into five pieces.

Today, we offer the smallest of those fragments."

Her melodic voice captivated everyone, enhancing their comprehension as she wove the tale. They could picture the mighty being who had created the artwork and the great entities who had fought over it, only to tear it apart. The war must have been tragic.

"Now, let's have a sneak peek of the piece," she said, clapping her hands. Two men brought out the fragment, its yellowed paper showing signs of age with tattered patches around the edges. Despite its age, the edges remained unnaturally sharp, as if they could slice through anything.

Though it was the smallest piece, it measured 100 meters in length, 45 meters in height, and 20 meters in width. The fragment was triangular in shape, exuding a heavy, ancient aura that made everyone's expressions shift. This was undeniably genuine.

"To protect everyone, only a small portion of the painting will be revealed. The full power could be destructive," the hostess cautioned.

With a faint rustling sound, a tiny section was unveiled. The air around them thickened. Every person present felt an overwhelming pressure, freezing them in place. Even the slightest movement—down to a strand of hair—felt as if it could trigger their disintegration.

Void frowned but remained still. Although his demon body boasted formidable strength and regenerative abilities, the power emanating from this painting was on an entirely different level. If he touched it, a small voice inside warned him that even he might not survive.

"That's all you'll see. Even if you can't fully comprehend its mysteries, it would make a formidable weapon," the hostess said, gesturing for the two men to close the painting.

Void squinted. The fact that the hostess and the two men could move freely under that oppressive force meant this organization was no joke. Destroying the city at the start of a war would be difficult, perhaps even fatal, if the organization chose to protect it.

"Let the auction begin," the hostess announced, her cold eyes sweeping across the room.

Like a signal, everyone snapped out of their stupor. It took a moment for them to process what they had just witnessed before they began presenting their greatest treasures. Even the young man beside Void joined in, but Void remained silent. Nothing so far compared to the white ore from the Abyss. That ore was unique, almost priceless, capable of creating a growable weapon with customizable stats.

Besides, Void was a demon. He didn't cultivate or seek enlightenment—souls were all he needed to grow stronger.

Void watched with mild interest, curious to see who would win the painting. It wasn't long before the bids escalated. Some were even offering entire kingdoms as collateral.

"Just the first treasure is this impressive. What's going on?" the young man muttered, having given up bidding some time ago.

"What do you mean?" Void asked curiously.

"This item should have been the last in any auction, yet it's the first."

"The best can be shown first, too," Void chimed in, smirking.

The young man frowned, pondering. "No. Auctions follow a strict protocol. The least valuable treasures are always shown first, with the best saved for last. But this..."

Void nodded slightly. "Something's up, but what's the point in worrying about things you can't control?"

The young man chuckled, his tension easing. "You're right."

"May I know your name?" the young man asked politely.

"Void," he replied simply.

"A unique name," the young man praised.

Void smiled lightly.

"I'm Louyan," the young man introduced himself.

Suddenly, a voice from the corner shouted, "100 law stones!" It broke the deadlock, causing a wave of shock among the crowd that rivaled the treasure itself.

Alas, the treasure was just an external tool if they couldn't comprehend it, but law stones were far more valuable. These stones were essential for helping a Rank 2 being comprehend a law and break through to Rank 3.

To be clear, a single stone couldn't directly form a law, no matter how powerful, but its main function was to aid a Rank 2 existence in perfecting their element. Even with a chance as slim as 0.00000001%, Rank 2 beings would still covet it. Perfecting a law could take anywhere from a single year to thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years, depending on the race and many other factors.

Despite the challenges, the worth of these stones was undeniable.

"Any higher bids?" the hostess asked, her voice calm and unruffled. She appeared entirely unsurprised, as though she had anticipated this outcome.

No one responded, leaving the bid to the sole standing participant. "Sold," the hostess announced softly. The painting was carried back to the building and would be given to the winner after the auction.

Void squinted at the man who had won the bid. Although Void should be one of the highest-ranked among the guests, the members of the auction house were clearly formidable. Even as a quasi-peak Rank 1 demon, Void couldn't see through this man. He was cloaked in a black hoodie, his upper face hidden, revealing only his jaw and side profile.

Void watched as the law stone was handed over by one of the auction house members. The stone resembled a crystal, and Void could feel an overwhelming energy radiating from it. It truly was something unique.

"This world is becoming more and more interesting," Void murmured with a smile. The auction proceeded, and as the young man had predicted, the treasures became increasingly powerful and unique. The man who had acquired the painting didn't speak again, and soon, the auction came to an end, leaving everyone amazed.

Beings they knew nothing about had acquired every treasure, which caused Void to frown. Something was definitely going on here. He could sense a terrible storm brewing, and unconsciously, a smile crept onto his face. His excitement and anticipation were growing.

As the auction ended, everyone exited, though they didn't leave immediately. Many aristocrats present were dissatisfied with the strange beings and would undoubtedly challenge them. However, what they didn't expect was that these beings had already disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

Void's eyes gleamed as he felt a surge of energy and a slight chill. "The rivers of this world run deep," he murmured with a smile.

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Far away, in a forbidden zone, mountains rose endlessly, making it impossible for a normal creature to navigate, let alone survive. Yet, creatures did live here—large, bloodthirsty beasts driven solely by instinct.

This place was home to the rebels of this world.

The man who had won the painting was seen walking deeper into the eerie forbidden zone, accompanied by the distant howls of bloodthirsty creatures.

At the center of the zone lay a massive pool filled with a thick, red liquid. This was none other than blood. The pool seemed endless, with no visible bottom, and even Void, with his immense perception, would not have been able to sense its edges.

Worse still, multiple pools like this one existed throughout the zone. Surrounding the pools were countless creatures, a mixture of this world's beings and the monsters that lived here.

"Welcome, High Elder," billions of mixed-blood creatures echoed in unison.

The man smiled and finally removed his hoodie. His face was grotesque, with missing facial features—holes where his eyes should have been, and a strange, small mouth trailing saliva along his cheeks.

Slowly, the man opened his mouth, revealing a long, snake-like tongue. His cheeks split, forming a chilling, wide grin.

"It is time for our Lord to descend and purge this world. Our Lord shall reign supreme and grant us eternal life," the man declared, raising his hands triumphantly.

The billions of mixed-blood creatures repeated his words with fervor, their eyes glowing with a strange, fanatical light. Their bodies were fully committed to their cause—they were zealots for their Lord.

The man vanished at that moment and reappeared millions of meters below ground.

Here, eleven hooded figures were gathered around a portal. If Void were here, he would have been shocked—for this portal led straight to the Abyss.

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Thank you for the support. Big shout out to foxy tail and bloodt8 for the powerstones.