Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 151

Underworld Abyss.

A mysterious and dark place, devouring all the light from the outside world. In this eternally sunless realm of darkness, heavy clouds loom above, with no transition between day and night, only endless dark and void.

The vast Underworld Plain is lifeless and desolate, the pale moon hanging high in the sky gives an unreal feeling, as if it were a figment of the imagination.

This is the lair of the beings of the Underworld Abyss!

Throughout the long and ancient years, the hundred clans of the Underworld Abyss have thrived here, finding their footing and survival, occasionally breaking into conflicts, yet reaching a reconciliation afterwards.

Cities of various sizes stand tall, their pitch-black structures devoid of any bright color, thick yin energy pervading everywhere, creating a stifling atmosphere.

Within the city, shops are crammed together, and humanoid beings can be seen moving about the streets, though ever since the war broke out, the environment has turned much more bleak and desolate.

“The frontline is in chaos, the King has issued a conscription order! Anyone at Qi Refining Level Nine and above must participate in the holy war!”

A voice booms, exuding undeniable authority.

Suddenly, a group of soldiers clad in dark red armor appears, brandishing shimmering spears to force the humanoid beings to comply. Those humanoid beings hearing they’re to be conscripted look more miserable than if they had lost their families.

“Looks like the situation out there is getting dire. I heard in some smaller cities, you could walk for half a day without seeing a soul; that shows how huge the military commitment is.”

“When the war first broke out, things were fine. We were getting victories left and right, but before long, we faced heavy losses. If we had known, we should’ve resisted this holy war and just stayed in the Underworld Abyss. Why covet the lands outside?”

“Shh! Watch your words! If the soldiers from the City Lord’s Mansion hear you, you’ll be dragged off for a severe punishment!”

In a corridor of an inn, two small clan beings can’t help but grumble.

Because of their low cultivation level, they avoided the previous rounds of conscription, but now they feel a sense of hopelessness with the worsening situation in the Underworld Abyss.

Remembering the past, the leading clan, the Ghost Clan, had issued a covenant to all the clans on the entire Underworld Plain, calling for a united front to conquer the Eastern Domain.

Most clans had protested against this sudden decision, believing the Ghost Clan’s ruler had gone mad to think they could contend with the human race of the Eastern Domain.

After all, the reason they had been shrinking in the Underworld Abyss for generations was that they had been driven here by the sages of the human race in the distant past. There had been several invasions with calculated plans, yet they had all suffered painful losses.

As the years went by, everyone grew accustomed to this sunless world, even feeling resigned to the isolation from the broader expanse of the outer realm.

Thus, when the Ghost Clan’s summons were heard, many clan leaders immediately protested, asserting there was no chance of victory even if a large army was mobilized.

While the Ghost Clan was indeed the leading force in the Underworld Abyss and held significant sway over the remaining ninety-nine clans, the proposal was too regressive for widespread support.

Just when everyone thought this tempest would settle down quickly, the Ghost Clan’s ruler invited leaders from various clans to a meeting. After that meeting, all the leaders publicly shifted to support the Ghost Clan overwhelmingly.

They claimed to have received divine favor, responding to the call of the gods, declaring there was no possibility of failure!

Subsequently, various militant slogans emerged, and the belief in victory spread like locusts.

In this unparalleled fervor, beings from all hundred clans rallied together, driven by the ambition to conquer the Eastern Domain. Waves of armies marched out of the Underworld Abyss, initiating this unprecedented holy war!

The war began and the first battle was a triumph.

They charged forth like a tidal wave, truly as if aided by the gods, ravaging many regions of the Eastern Domain, mercilessly trampling upon the once lofty human cultivators.

But the good times didn’t last long; the human forces began to fight back, posing strong resistance to the armies of the Underworld Abyss.

Among them, a powerful figure known as Ye Junlin became extremely famous, his hands stained with the blood of countless cultivators from the Underworld Abyss, having slain more than a dozen Tribulation Stage kings, directly altering the trajectory of the entire war!

As successive heavy news spread, the beings of the Underworld Abyss wailed, their morale plummeting, their faith shattered, completely contrary to what they had anticipated.

From then on, the war situation took a sharp downturn.

Due to the many cultivators from the Underworld Abyss killed in external battles, most clans began to show a waning of their lineage, and more and more beings filled with dread resisted heading to the frontlines.

Voices calling for peace began to arise.

But the higher-ups directly ignored them, even employing violent suppression tactics, continuing to relentlessly send troops.

Some cultivators of the Underworld Abyss, fearing conscription, secretly snuck out of the cities, hiding in the cold, desolate Underworld Plain, not wanting to die in vain.

However, no matter where they fled, they would soon be captured again. To many lower-class commoners, the upper-ups’ actions seemed completely insane.

After all, if such a situation arose in the past, the clan leaders would have long ceased their campaigns, but now there was no indication of stopping; they forcefully tied the fate of all beings in the Underworld Abyss to this war machine.

It was as if an invisible pair of hands was madly pushing this war machine forward…

In the central area of the Underworld Plain, there stood a massive palace, soaring to the heavens, emitting a cold, eerie glow in this world devoid of day and night.

This was the power hub of the royal capital of the entire Underworld Plain, the residence of the ruling Ghost Clan.

At this moment, in the spacious conference hall, the few rulers of the Underworld Abyss gathered, their faces dark and worried.

“If this continues, it won’t be good! After this battle, who knows how many years it will take to recover? We’ve lost too many of our kin for this holy war!”

“If it drags on any longer, the hundred clans of the Underworld Abyss may well cease to exist!”

“Ah, but if we stop now, it feels too unsatisfying because this might be our last chance to turn the tables.”

“King Dāngyōu, can you truly guarantee we will win this battle? If we fail in the end, you’ll be nailed to the Pillar of Shame in the Underworld Abyss, and the entire Ghost Clan must take responsibility!”

The heated discussion turned into pointed accusations, all fingers pointing at the powerful figure seated at the front on the throne.

With emerald green hair braided into numerous little strands cascading down his back and chest, forehead gleaming with shimmering diamond scales, this middle-aged man had a ruggedly handsome face, displaying an undeniable aura of dominance.

He was the mightiest ruler of the Underworld Abyss, the head of the Ghost Clan, King Dāngyōu!