Chapter 544

Chapter 544: Will the Abyss Turn the Tables After Going Idle?

The "Abyssal Carpet" entered a brief "slumber" after exhausting its power, yet this didn’t mean the "Abyss forces" lost their aggression.

On the contrary, they might have become even more dangerous in certain ways.

Both the "Abyssal Carpet" and "First Demon God" shared an odd trait—distrusting their subordinates’ capabilities.

They always dictated battle plans to their demon gods or Tyrants beforehand, forcing them to follow rigid strategies.

Simply put…

All bark and no bite, yet obsessed with micromanagement.

Barbatos’s situation fared slightly better since his control over "core councilors" was weaker, sometimes requiring bargaining to drive them.

Besides, no core councilor heeded Barbatos anymore.

But the Abyss was different…

As Ether Usurpers’ and lesser Tyrants’ Souls originated from the Abyss, its control over them was absolute.

Compared to the First Demon God, it ruled more autocratically, dismissing all counsel.

Problems reported by Ether Usurpers were ignored, with action forbidden—the Abyss reserved power for "critical" matters.

The outcome?

Its ill-conceived schemes sacrificed countless subordinates and several powerful Tyrants. Despite overwhelming strength, Abyss forces clashed incompetently with the Ether Mother, locked in a stalemate…

This stemmed partly from fighting the Chaos Demon God on two fronts.

Yet another factor couldn’t be ignored—the Abyss was incompetent yet meddlesome.

Now the situation shifted.

With the Abyss dormant, its Ether Usurpers were unchained, their ambitions stirring.

"Secondary tasks" once forbidden could now be pursued!

For instance…

"The great Abyss might never notice…"

"…that remnants of Ancient Gods seek resurgence in its conquered sacred lands!"

"These pests must be eradicated! Lest they spawn endless calamity!"

Since their Souls sprang from the Abyss, most Ether Usurpers formed stable interest coalitions with it, even without viewing it as a "mother."

Unlike the Chaos Demon God’s covert scheming—even betrayals—against the "First Demon God," the Abyss’s seemingly loose feudal structure bred greater loyalty.

True, they faced two enemies: the Abyss’s foes and its idiotic commands.

Now things improved.

The sleeping Abyss issued no more foolish orders.

With one enemy gone, Ether Usurpers could freely focus their initiative against the Abyss’s adversaries!

"Charge!"

"How dare they encroach beneath the Abyss’s very gaze!"

"When we were blind!"

"Roar——!"

The enormous ether deities swayed their broad tail fins, swimming out from the Abyssal Sea.

They roared, driving their respective ether subordinates to charge at the newly emerged "Ancient Cup Gods."

Yet these creatures arrived slightly too late.

"Bang——!"

"Boom——!"

Their colossal divine bodies slammed violently against the seabed, causing Ancient God Fragments to billow through the Endless Ether, blinding all vision.

It also veiled their battle achievements.

But the hollow thud of impact revealed their meager results.

The "Ancient Cup Gods" hadn’t wasted power borrowed from the "Giant Gods"; they relentlessly refined the Ancient God Fragments beneath them, extracting "divine bone matter" to forge their own "divine bones."

Though lacking flexibility, these divine bones possessed extreme hardness.

Even as ether subordinates crashed headlong, they failed to shake the cup-shaped divine bodies now taking form.

This, however, was merely their probing assault.

"Hmph…"

"If subordinates fail, let the tyrants take action!"

"Roar——!"

A behemoth four times larger than charging ether subordinates lunged forth, smashing violently into the cluster of "Ancient Cup Outer Gods!"

And so…

"Boom——!"

"Crash——!"

The collision sundered heaven and earth.

Though the Ancient Cup Outer Gods’ "divine bones" had begun taking shape, they remained too undersized to withstand usurper-level force.

"Crack——!"

"Snap——!"

Stone-shattering echoes filled the waters.

At the impact site, Ancient Cup Gods lay broken—shattered fragments littering the seabed in a harrowing spectacle.

"Urgh…"

Yet the attacker paid a price too. They drifted groggily through billowing Ancient God Fragments, drifting aimlessly before gradually clearing their senses.

"Ha!"

"That didn’t go well!"

"Enemies of the Abyss!"

"This is your fate!"

He spiraled upward, slowly rising through the Sea of Ether.

Then plunged down violently!

"Boom——!"

Its massive, streamlined form carved a long wake through the ether, driving a powerful current as it charged toward the Ancient Cup God.

Clearly, this impact wouldn’t strike just a single point or plane.

After hitting the Bottom of the Ether Sea, the unspent force would surge forward, obliterating everything in its path.

The primary obstacles? The Ancient Cup Outer Gods who’d hastily built exoskeletons on the seabed.

Everyone in its path would perish!

"Die——!"

roared the Ether Usurper.

Following close behind were other restless Tyrants.

They bellowed, trailing the lead Usurper, aiming to demolish the nascent Ancient Cup Domain one by one!

But then…

"Glug glug glug…"

A stream of bubbles erupted from the Ether Sea.

Followed by…

"Boom——!"

A violent but clumsy flood of ether surged from the rising Ancient God Fragments.

Stirring it all: giant jaws and terrible claws!

"Roar——!"

A massive head shot up, snatching the still-charging Ether Usurper in its maw.

A powerful neck whipped sideways!

"Splash——!"

The ether deity crashed backward, slamming into the trailing Ether Usurpers and Ether subordinates!

"Boom——!"

"Crash——!"

Their orderly charge collapsed into chaos!

Yet their true nightmare had only just begun!

"Damn——!"

Divine might packed with immense information vibrated into soundwaves that pummeled every ether deity across the sea.

Sheer malice and fury froze all Ether Usurpers for an instant.

And in that instant…

"Roar——!"

The colossal monster was already upon them!