Chapter 62: First Meeting with the Saint Lord, Each with Their Own Hidden Agenda
The cold, lifeless depths of the cosmos resembled an endless black curtain, dotted with distant and dim stars.
The Douluo Plane hung suspended like a dazzling, vibrant pearl, bursting with life. Opposite it, the Abyss Plane, emanating an aura of greed, destruction, and chaos, loomed like a vast, writhing shadow intent on devouring the light, approaching at a constant speed.
Lei Chen's energy avatar transformed into a nearly imperceptible stream of multicolored light, streaking through the void.
He made no deliberate effort to conceal his presence. After all, the purpose of this trip was reconnaissance and observation. If the other party couldn't even detect his uncloaked approach, then the threat level of this Abyss Plane would need a serious reassessment.
Just as his avatar was still a considerable distance from the Abyss Plane, only now clearly sensing the chaotic fluctuations emanating from its planar barrier, a reaction came from the other side, as expected.
A ripple suddenly appeared on the dark, murky planar barrier, which seemed to be condensed from countless negative energies.
In the next moment, a profound, dark-purple stream of light, as if capable of absorbing all illumination, shot out from it like an arrow from a bow, its target unmistakably Lei Chen's avatar.
Within the avatar, Lei Chen's true consciousness stirred slightly. 'Perception is fairly sharp.'
Although this avatar was not his true body, it contained a wisp of his divine sense and the unique aura of a Plane Master, accompanied by the laws of reality as it moved.
For the other party to lock onto and react to it so swiftly from such a vast distance was indeed a testament to formidable perception.
In the flash of a thought, that dark-purple stream of light had torn through the void and arrived abruptly, stopping in the emptiness about a hundred zhang away from Lei Chen's avatar.
The light dissipated, revealing a figure within.
It was a man clad in ornate, dark-purple robes. His face appeared quite young, even carrying a hint of sinister handsomeness. His purple hair floated gently in the void as if alive.
His pupils were strange vertical slits, glowing with a dark golden hue. Within their openings and closings, scenes of countless planes being born and perishing, and the wails of living beings seemed to flow.
The aura emanating from his entire being was obscure yet powerful, carrying a majesty that seemed to transcend all living things. This was the ruler of the Abyss Plane—the Tian Shen!
However, with just a sweeping glance, Lei Chen had already seen through the reality of the situation.
'Quite cautious indeed.'
This Tian Shen before him, like Lei Chen, had not come in person. He, too, was merely an avatar condensed from pure energy and will.
A Plane Master could only mobilize the full power of their plane, unleashing one hundred percent or even greater strength, while residing within their own domain.
Once their true body left their plane and entered the perilous depths of the cosmos, not only would their power be greatly diminished, but if ambushed or caught in an accident, it could lead to a loss of status or even their demise.
Lei Chen's decision to come with an avatar wasn't without a hint of 'fishing' intent. If he could lure the other's true body into impulsively leaving the Abyss Plane, it would be a heaven-sent opportunity.
Unfortunately, this Tian Shen was clearly well-versed in such tactics as well, sending only an avatar to the meeting. His caution and cunning were evident.
As Lei Chen's thoughts raced, analyzing his opponent, a smile appeared on the face of the Tian Shen's avatar. It seemed gentle on the surface but contained boundless hypocrisy.
He gave a slight nod. His voice, transmitted through the void, carried a strange magnetism, as if capable of bewitching the heart:
'I am the Tian Shen. I apologize for not welcoming our esteemed guest from afar.'
The words seemed polite, but within those dark golden vertical pupils, there was not a trace of apology—only cold scrutiny and a hint of barely concealed greed, as if appraising prey soon to be within his grasp.
Lei Chen's avatar remained expressionless, showing no reaction to this hypocritical courtesy. He simply stared deeply at the Tian Shen, his gaze sharp as a blade, as if trying to pierce through the surface of this avatar to glimpse the secrets at the core of its true body.
After a moment, he cut straight to the point, his voice calm yet carrying an indisputable chill:
'Since your plane's forces are already pressing upon our borders, advancing directly toward my realm, it seems you are determined to have a confrontation with us.'
Seeing Lei Chen so direct, the smile on the Tian Shen's face remained unchanged, his tone still dripping with falsehood. 'Heh, our guest speaks too gravely.'
'Planes sailing through the boundless cosmos, their meeting is fate. I have brought the Abyss Plane here not with ill intent, but because I sensed this plane's vibrant life and immense potential. I wish to coexist amicably with your esteemed plane, to seek mutual development and elevate together hand in hand.'
'I hope our guest does not misunderstand our sincere intentions.'
'Sincere intentions?' A scornful curve appeared at the corner of Lei Chen's avatar's mouth.'Spare me the pretense. Your plane's essence—to devour all and destroy everything—cannot be hidden from me. Whether it's a misunderstanding, you and I both know the truth.'
He paused, meeting the Tian Shen's gaze as the smile gradually faded from the other's face, and continued, 'However, there is one thing you said that wasn't wrong—
I also believe that if two planes could 'merge into one,' complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses, it would be greatly beneficial for both.'
As these words fell, the last trace of that hypocritical smile finally vanished completely from the Tian Shen's face. His dark golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly, dangerous light flashing within the slits.
He naturally understood the implication in Lei Chen's words: far from cowering in fear, the other party harbored the same ambition, actually wanting to turn the tables and devour the Abyss Plane!
'Is that so?' The Tian Shen's voice turned cold, devoid of any previous courtesy, carrying a hint of menace.'Since our ideas are so... aligned, then it seems... nothing could be better. The law of the cosmos is survival of the fittest. It has always been so.'
Lei Chen's avatar said no more. The probing was done, the stance made clear.
He took one last deep look at the Tian Shen's avatar, where killing intent now lurked, and left with a final remark:
'In that case, we shall each rely on our own abilities. I hope you... will not regret today's decision in the future. Of course, by then, even if you wish to regret, you likely will no longer have the chance.'
Before the words had fully faded, Lei Chen's energy avatar instantly grew transparent like a candle flame in the wind, then transformed into a wisp of pure, multicolored light.
This wisp of multicolored light, as if drawn by an invisible force, shot toward the distant Douluo Plane at a speed several times faster than its arrival. In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the faint yet resilient planar barrier and disappeared.
The Tian Shen's avatar did not attempt to stop it. He merely hovered in the void, watching coldly as that strand of light returned to the Douluo Plane. Only after the multicolored light had completely vanished did an unconcealed look of mockery and an icy, bone-chilling sneer appear on his face.
'Regret? A clueless fool,' he muttered to himself, his voice filled with condescending contempt. 'You have no idea what you and your feeble plane are about to face... what it truly is.'
The dark-purple avatar then slowly dissipated, returning to the Abyss Plane. Only the cold, lifeless cosmic depths remained, but the invisible yet immensely heavy will to fight between the two great planes had already spread through the void like a tangible force.
Read New Book In Profil3
Loving Book So Far Check Out 40+ Chapters In Advanced At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FictionsTL