Chapter 61: Arrangements Made, First Probe into the Abyss
Lei Chen's words struck Kong Deming's heart like heavy war drums.
A war for the survival of a plane? An invasion from beyond the domain? These concepts far exceeded any continental hegemony or sectarian grudges he had ever contemplated.
But coming from the mouth of the Plane Master, their veracity was beyond doubt. That weighty pressure instantly replaced the joy he had just felt from forging the divine artifact and seeing a clear path ahead.
"Ten top-tier Soul Engineer Corps, fifty standard Soul Engineer Corps... This junior understands!"
Kong Deming took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock within, his gaze sharpening once more with focus.
As the pillar of the Sun Moon Empire, he knew well this was no time for hesitation.
"To integrate the Soul Master forces of the entire continent, to mobilize all the Empire's reserves... This junior will spare no effort to complete the armed reorganization as swiftly as possible, to face the great calamity!"
Lei Chen gave a slight nod, acknowledging Kong Deming's resolve. Yet, he knew well the difficulty of this task; it could not be achieved by a mere decree alone.
After all, the Three Kingdoms of the original Douluo Continent and the Sun Moon Empire had been locked in confrontation for millennia, with deep-seated grievances and almost zero trust between them.
Abruptly demanding they accept armaments from the Sun Moon Empire and obey a unified schedule was bound to invite immense skepticism and resistance.
Thus, Lei Chen spoke again, his voice even but carrying an unquestionable authority: "This matter concerns the very survival of the plane. Internal discord must be set aside for now. To ensure the plan proceeds smoothly and avoid pointless disputes and delays, I grant you a mark."
With that, Lei Chen lightly tapped a finger. A nearly imperceptible stream of multicolored light, brimming with the vast will of the plane, flowed from his fingertip and silently merged into the center of Kong Deming's forehead.
Kong Deming felt a cool sensation on his brow, followed instantly by a connection of warm, immense will to his soul. It was as if a pair of supreme eyes were watching over him, bestowing unparalleled authority.
He instinctively perceived that a new, extremely subtle yet profoundly mysterious multicolored runic mark now adorned his Spiritual interface, emitting a soft, gentle radiance.
"This mark contains a wisp of my will," Lei Chen stated plainly. "When you need to gather the various factions to state the stakes, if anyone questions your words or my decree, you may reveal this mark."
"It will prove to the doubters that your words are true, that you represent my will."
Greatly reassured, Kong Deming promptly bowed. "My thanks, Your Eminence! With this mark in hand, this junior will surely convince all parties and complete the integration swiftly!"
With this "Imperial Sword" in hand, he would have the strongest confidence when facing representatives from Shrek Academy, the Body Sect, and the Star Luo, Tian Hun, and Dou Ling Kingdoms.
The will of the Plane Master was not something any individual or force could defy, especially at such a critical juncture of life and death.
"Mm. There's no time to waste. Go and make the arrangements promptly," Lei Chen gave his final instruction. Seeing that all matters had been conveyed, he said no more.
A faint multicolored glow shimmered around him as Lei Chen's figure seemed to merge into the void, gradually fading until he vanished completely from the alchemy laboratory within the Hall of Worship.
Watching Lei Chen depart, Kong Deming's taut nerves relaxed slightly, only to be replaced by an even heavier pressure.
He raised a hand and lightly touched the warm mark on his brow, sensing the will contained within, and let out a long, slow exhale.
A planar war... This was no longer the Empire's thousand-year grand plan, but the ultimate test concerning whether all living beings on this land beneath their feet could continue to survive. As one of the plan's specific executors, his responsibility was immense.
"Absolutely cannot delay..." Kong Deming murmured to himself, his gaze becoming unshakably firm. "Must act immediately!"
He straightened his slightly disheveled robes and withdrew the newly ascended divine artifact, the silver moon divine light shield, into his body to nurture it.
Now, the joy brought by this new divine artifact was overshadowed by a tremendous sense of mission. It would become a vital force protecting the plane on future battlefields.
"First, to see the Emperor..." Without further delay, Kong Deming moved, transforming into a streak of light that shot directly toward the core area of the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
He needed to immediately have an audience with the Emperor, to convey the decree of the Plane Master and the impending terrifying crisis, and to activate the Empire's highest-level war mobilization mechanism.
Simultaneously, in the Empire's name, he would issue the most urgent summons to all major forces across the continent to discuss the plan for survival.
...
Elsewhere, Lei Chen, having left the Sun Moon Empire's Hall of Worship, had already returned to the depths of the Plane Origin Sea. At its core, surrounded by swirling multicolored light, his true form hovered quietly, as if breathing as one with the entire plane.
The arrangements just made for Kong Deming were another crucial piece he had placed on the board within the plane to counter the Abyssal invasion.
The outcome of the low-tier battlefield, while seemingly inconsequential to the confrontation of peak combatants, was akin to two giants wrestling. The stability of the foundation beneath their feet directly determined who could hold out until the end.
Arming a powerful soul engineer army, combined with Electrolux's ocean of undead, would be enough to hold the line in a protracted war of attrition, even gradually eroding the Abyss's power. Shifting the balance of strength would ultimately break the stalemate.
'The urgent internal arrangements are largely set. The growth of the Ice and Snow Empresses, the revival of Electrolux, the reformation and arming of the human Soul Master system... The seeds have been sown. Now, we need only wait for them to grow, or be tempered in the fires of war.'
Lei Chen pondered, meticulously reviewing all the arrangements within the plane, confirming there were no major oversights for the moment.
Immediately, his gaze turned once more beyond the plane.
The Abyss Plane, clinging like a persistent parasite, constantly approaching with its aura of greed and destruction, remained his greatest concern.
To know oneself and the enemy is the key to victory in a hundred battles. Relying solely on long-distance perception made it difficult to grasp the full picture, especially the specific state of that Abyssal Saint Lord and the current detailed distribution of strength within the Abyss Plane.
Thinking this, a flash of resolve crossed Lei Chen's eyes. He needed a closer look at this approaching enemy.
With a thought, an energy avatar quietly separated from his body.
This avatar contained a wisp of Lei Chen's divine sense and enough divine power to exist and act within the cosmic void.
The next moment, this energy avatar transformed into an intangible stream of light, instantly piercing through the Douluo Plane's sturdy world barrier, silently entering the cold, dark, silent depths of cosmic space.
The avatar glanced back at Douluo Star, radiating vibrant life and protected by a thin yet tenacious planar barrier. Then, it turned, accelerating to its limit. Like a fish swimming through water, it streaked towards the source of that heart-palpitating aura of destruction—the Abyss Plane.
He was going to see for himself exactly how prepared this "malicious neighbor," drawn here by Tang San, currently was.
The prelude to this war, which would decide the fate of the Douluo Plane, had slowly begun to rise.
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