Chapter 1

There were no comfortable, clean houses to live in, no clean food or water sources, no clothes, and no order. The sky was gray, with no visible horizon, no sun, no moon, and no stars. There was nothing, nothing at all. All beautiful things were completely unrelated to this place, for this was the abyss, the prison of the universe, the dwelling place of demons.

The sky remained dark, with wisps of black mist continuously drifting and overlapping, forming various shapes. Red and purple lightning bolts constantly pierced through the rain and fog, the deafening thunder echoing across the sky. Various colored lightning bolts collided, exploding into bright white sparks. One could say that this was the only thing in the abyss that resembled the legendary sunlight.

What is sunlight?

Since ancient times, the legendary sunlight, the beautiful moonlight, and the even more enchanting starlight could only be passed down through the mouths of the demon lords. The lower-level abyssal demons had no idea what sunlight was, let alone what the so-called moonlight was. However, the yearning for the plane of sunlight was deeply rooted in the soul of every demon, whether it was the most humble demon worm or the greatest demon lord, without exception.

The yearning for the plane of sunlight and the desire for beautiful things distorted the already cruel, dark, murderous, and psychologically twisted demons even more. For the selfish demons, these things were more important than their own lives.

The demon lords, the most powerful demons in the abyss, could pluck stars with their hands, and a single strike could cause the heavens to collapse, the earth to reverse, and the sun and moon to lose their light. Only the demon lords, the most powerful of the abyssal demons, had the ability to forcibly break through the spatial barriers of the abyss and lead countless demons to invade the plane of sunlight.

The last invasion of the plane of sunlight was millions of years ago. Now, the great will of the abyss, the terrifying demon lords, and the abyssal demons are unknown in countless planes, even the word "abyss" has faded into the river of time. After all, it has been too long, and the demons have been trapped in this prison for too long, so long that another cycle has arrived.

......

"Rumble"

Er Dongsheng laboriously moved the boulder blocking the cave entrance, stepped out of the cave, and stood beside it, frowning as he watched the rolling clouds and lightning in the dark sky.

"It seems I need to hurry, the rainy season in the abyss is coming!"

With a step, his figure transformed and appeared dozens of meters away, then he turned and rushed into the vast, dense forest nearby.

Ahead, an endless sea of trees stretched to the horizon. From the sky, these trees appeared abnormally dark, some even pitch black. The entire forest had no trace of the green from the plane of sunlight, only black, deep purple, or dark red. Some plants even emitted a faint light, adding to the mysterious and unpredictable nature of the forest.

At this moment, large gray mists roamed through the forest, moving from one area to another. Occasionally, a bolt of lightning would strike from the sky, splitting a tree in half.

Sometimes, a tree would catch fire from the lightning, but strangely, the fire could only spread among the dead trees, causing no damage to the living ones. It seemed these strange trees had a fire-resistant ability, fitting for the resilient species that survived in the abyss.

Er Dongsheng's goal was these towering trees struck by lightning.

He was here to find food.

The trees in the abyss, without sunlight, could not perform photosynthesis. Over millions of years, they evolved another way to survive by absorbing the omnipresent abyssal energy. There might be other ways for plants to survive, but Er Dongsheng didn't know, as he had only explored the vast forest near his home in the three years since he arrived in this world called the abyss.

"This world is too dangerous. It's best to stay put until I'm stronger!" Er Dongsheng reminded himself.

"Crack, crack!" Er Dongsheng cautiously approached the tree struck by lightning, walking and stopping, constantly looking around. In this world, any moment of carelessness could be your last.

So, caution is never wrong.

Although the abyss had no sun, moon, or stars, it was not completely dark. Many things emitted light, whether strong or weak, from the soil, rocks, demons, or plants. For example, Er Dongsheng's demon body had eyes that emitted a terrifying blue light, but demons could control their own light.

Thus, this world was only gray, and with the demons' enhanced vision, it was no different from how humans see in the light, and perhaps even better.

At this moment, in a corner of the forest, a black figure was motionless, crouching in a patch of large grass beside a tree.

This was a small, dark-colored creature, only a little over a meter tall, completely naked except for the dark gray scales covering its body, except for its head. It had a pair of sharp, long ears, similar to those of the elves in the plane of sunlight, and a pair of black horns on its ears, like a lamb's horns. A long, smooth black tail swayed behind it, with a sharp, drill-like tip.

Er Dongsheng lay quietly in the dense grass, with the abyssal energy boiling around him but not spreading, to prevent the toxic insects in the grass.

Some of the toxic insects in the abyss were even more dangerous than large carnivorous demons. Over millions of years, these insects, though still at the bottom of the food chain, might have undergone mutations, developing even more lethal toxins. If one bit you, you would die without knowing why.

Having been here for three years, Er Dongsheng had completely inherited the demon's body, including its memories and instincts, and used them more skillfully. After all, he was once a knowledgeable martial arts enthusiast. Although he arrived in this world by chance, deep down, this world suited him better.

Staring intently at the tree struck by lightning, the flickering firelight reflected in his dark eyes. Er Dongsheng understood that patience was needed. The herbivorous animals would not miss this dead abyssal tree.

In the abyss, there was no such thing as a kind species, even the seemingly harmless abyssal trees.

These tall abyssal trees, though lacking any offensive capabilities, had the strongest defense. The skin of a living abyssal tree was so strong that even powerful first or second-level abyssal demons could not penetrate it. Perhaps the only thing that could harm them in this forest was the violent sky lightning.

"Perhaps third-level abyssal demons can, but who knows if such powerful demons really exist in this vast forest! Second-level demons are already legendary, let alone higher-level ones." He shook his head and sighed.

"I haven't even reached the first level yet. I should focus on reaching the first level first."

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