This necromancer is going to seduce the beautiful girls who are already dead.

The slaves are now inside the high-level exchanges. The Council of the Dead has four high-level exchanges, and now they have all been overrun by the enraged slaves—even the high-ranking councilors stationed inside those exchanges cannot harm these slaves in the slightest.

Abyss's goal is to rescue all the slaves currently waiting to be sold at the exchange.

He's been quiet for too long and is itching to get his hands dirty. Today, he's going to turn the Council of the Dead upside down!

Chapter 319 An Opponent Equal to Abyss

The Council of the Dead reacted swiftly. When the exchange was attacked, the elders had already mobilized all the high-ranking councilors who had failed to defend the cultivation facilities. While the thirty-two high-ranking councilors were already formidable, the elders, fearing that the Abyss's schemes might once again outmaneuver them, actually deployed four of them this time.

The Three Venerables rarely appear in action, only engaging in combat when the Council of the Dead faces a genuine crisis. Currently, no one within the Council of the Dead has even witnessed the Three Venerables in action; only the elders occasionally contact them to receive general instructions. Therefore, the elders are now considered the highest fighting force within the Council of the Dead.

The Council of the Dead is willing to go to great lengths to deal with the Abyss, but they don't even know where the Abyss is, which is a major headache for the elders.

……

"While I am in charge, all of you must maintain the security of the exchange and not allow a single slave to escape! The Council of Elders is discussing new countermeasures, and I expect you to perform well until then." An elder, wielding a magnificent staff symbolizing his status, was directing the senior councilors on the spot.

The elders are all highly skilled masters. Although this elder's body is here, his necromancer-controlled clones are holding meetings far away, and these clones are quite powerful as well. It's not surprising that necromancers of their caliber possess one or two corpses of powerful individuals.

The senior councilors, accustomed to their high and mighty positions, were somewhat unaccustomed to being ordered around by this elder, but they complied nonetheless. Together, they conjured a massive barrier, forming a hollow sphere that enveloped the entire exchange from all sides, preventing the slaves from escaping.

Having suffered such a humiliating defeat last time, these senior councilors were not willing to be fooled by these slaves again.

“You probably don’t know how you failed. The Abyss possesses a very profound magic that can arbitrarily create a spatial rift in our world.” The elder, leaning on his staff, walked among the senior councilors and said to them, “And this spatial rift leads to a world he created himself, a world that belongs to him and is completely under his control, a world that even evil gods cannot invade at will.”

The source of this information was the Lord of Delusion. Originally, to avoid shaking the morale of the council members, only members of the rank of elder or above were qualified to know. However, in this special period, the elders had no choice but to make the information public. After all, the previous hesitation had already led to all the magical slaves of the council being taken away by the Abyss.

"What?" The senior councilors all seemed somewhat flustered upon hearing this news. "This Abyss actually has the ability to create worlds?"

"He's too strong! How are we supposed to fight him?"

Do we have that capability?

"He counted to three, and my life was his."

"He didn't create a world!" Seeing the councilors' nervousness, the elder quickly reassured them, "He merely used some profound rules to exploit loopholes in the world and created a small space. It's just an incomplete world. It's actually a type of spatial magic."

"Who exactly is this Abyss? How can he be so terrifying? I thought all those legends about him were just rumors," some senior councilors said fearfully. They were indeed experts, but they were still wary of such a terrifyingly powerful figure.

"I've already said it! The Abyss's strength is unfathomable, why won't you believe me!" The high-ranking councilor who had suffered a crushing defeat against the Abyss in Lavoisier was among them. He had initially been ridiculed for saying the Abyss was strong, being accused of blaming the enemy for his own weakness. Now, he was furious, his face flushed red.

“But I have good news—Abyss doesn’t know that we’ve actually developed a way to counter his magic.” The elder smiled smugly. “The Chief Mage gave us a new spell, and I’ve already used it—this spell fills the surrounding space with a special magical energy. It has no effect on ordinary magic, but if Abyss opens that spatial rift here again, this special magical energy will immediately destroy it, causing it to fail. Now these slaves are trapped.”

"I see! The Chief Mage is indeed more skilled!" The councilors breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this news.

Yes, the enemy is strong, but the three venerable ones here are no pushovers. They know that the council often cooperates with evil gods. Although they don't know exactly who the evil gods are or what conditions they provide, they know that these cooperations are led by the three venerable ones.

In other words, their three experts are all ruthless individuals capable of negotiating with evil gods, and they are on par with the Abyss on the other side, who has the ability to defeat evil gods—moreover, there are three of them, giving them a numerical advantage.

This news was undoubtedly a reassurance, putting all the senior councilors at ease and maintaining an unbreakable barrier. Those slaves, who were smashing and looting inside the exchange, certainly didn't expect they were now trapped like fish in a barrel.

Some parts of the barrier began to ripple like water, indicating that the slaves inside were trying to break it. However, there were eight high-ranking councilors maintaining the barrier's existence, and even though the slaves' magic had been greatly amplified by the sacred tree, they were unable to break through this overly powerful barrier.

"Hmph, Abyss, you've been arrogant for far too long. Do you think you're invincible now?" The elder seemed to be talking to himself, yet also to Abyss, who was hiding somewhere. "Feel the power of our Council of the Dead. Let us show you that when you come to our territory, you have to follow our rules!"

The slaves were still struggling to break through the barrier. The necromancers knew they had just broken through the barriers of the training facilities and should be quite confident facing this new one. It seemed they would have to try for a while longer before they would know the vast difference between the two barriers.

The senior councilors gradually relaxed; the slaves' attacks, though powerful, were insignificant within the barrier they had collectively maintained. Some even began to chat and laugh.

The elder maintained the interference magic here while also using his clone to discuss with other elders how to resolve the current slave riot.

However, his smugness was short-lived, as his apprentice delivered new information to his clone.

“Master, something’s wrong. It seems like we’ve lost contact with all our slave ranches. I just contacted them, and after a few perfunctory replies, there’s been no response at all…”

"What!?"

Chapter 320 An eye for an eye

That wasn't the end of it. Afterwards, the elders received new news: ordinary exchanges on the continent had also been robbed, and even some mages' residences storing large numbers of slaves had been burglarized. The large number of slaves were all rescued almost immediately. Now, only a few necromancers holding small numbers of slaves remained untouched.

The elders never expected that the Abyss was not frowning and agonizing over how to break the interference magic they had set up, but was instead smiling broadly as it welcomed the bewildered slaves who had just arrived in Helheim.

Before Abyss does anything, he makes detailed plans for all situations. How could he not have anticipated that the Council of the Dead would come up with countermeasures? He never underestimated the strength of his opponents. The Three Venerables were already top mages more than a thousand years ago and had cultivated on this continent for more than a thousand years. They were not so powerful that they could not even stop Abyss from opening a spatial rift.

"Welcome to your new home, Iris City. Each new resident, please proceed to the registration point over there, where the Grey Elves will assign you accommodations." Abyss and his retinue were busy welcoming the former slaves who had just arrived in Helheim.

Today, more than 20,000 new guests have arrived in Helheim. The Council of the Dead has bred a huge number of slaves for experimental purposes. These are all the slaves in the slave breeding facilities and trading houses on the continent.

There are also some slaves who are still in the hands of necromancers. Abyss cannot directly rescue them for the time being, but he is not without options.

The more than 20,000 slaves stared at each other in astonishment at the magnificent Iris City before them, unable to comprehend what was happening. At this moment, sociable residents from Eternal Night City mingled among them, explaining the situation. The people of Eternal Night City had been preparing for this day for a long time, and they quickly made it clear to the slaves that they had been rescued from the Council of the Dead. From now on, no one would threaten them with beatings and death, and they would no longer have to endure the days when their friends were frequently taken away and never to return.

The slaves were puzzled, not because they lacked intelligence, but because the Abyss's actions this time were far too swift.

After rescuing the magical slaves from the magical slave training facility, Abyss dispatched them to several high-level exchanges. However, their mission was actually only to rescue the slaves from the exchanges. Under Abyss's personal command and assistance, this operation was completed in just a few dozen seconds.

Then, those who attacked the exchange staff and some customers inside the exchange were not the slaves at all. The slaves had already been evacuated. After returning to Helheim, they were fitted with devices that had been hastily manufactured by the City of Eternal Night and could be remotely controlled as alchemical puppets—yes, those who caused damage inside the exchange were merely alchemical puppets controlled by these slaves.

Although they cannot use magical bonds across worlds like the Abyss, the Abyss still has a way to make up for this deficiency: the Abyss opened a spatial rift at the Druids' Gathering, from which the slaves' magical bonds extended all the way to the Shadowfall.

Even with the Council of the Dead's swift reaction, they couldn't detect the Abyss's actions at any moment. The opening of the spatial rift was silent, and by the time the elders arrived, the necessary actions had already been completed. The elders thought they had the slaves trapped, but if they had simply entered the exchange, they would have discovered that the slaves' behavior was rather strange.

Some walked normally, while others wobbled. When using magic, some could cast spells normally, while others repeatedly failed to cast them. Their postures were also striking; some "slaves" looked like marionettes, their heads tilted to one side. This was because the magical bonds were disrupted when crossing the Storm Sea, and the slaves lacked the ability to shield themselves from these interferences.

Of course, no one in the exchange can provide any information anymore. The staff who could escape have already escaped, and those who couldn't were stripped of their mobility by the vengeful slaves and thrown into Helheim, where they are currently imprisoned.

Those currently launching attacks and damaging the facilities of the Council of the Dead are all alchemical puppets. Their attacks on the barrier are merely a means to divert the attention of the Council of the Dead's senior members.

While the mid-to-high-level combatants of the Undead Council were being lured to the high-level exchanges, Abyss had already set its sights on all the other ordinary exchanges of the Undead Council, as well as the homes of some necromancers who held large numbers of slaves. These necromancers were all high-ranking councilors, and now they had all been lured away from their posts. Their apprentices were no match for the enhanced slaves, so their homes were also ransacked.

The Abyss was extremely ruthless this time. Not only did it rescue all the necromancers' slaves, but it also took advantage of the necromancers' weak guards, preventing them from sending messages out in time, to move all their books and various materials and resources. In any case, this action was already a formal declaration of war against the Council of the Dead, so taking a few more things wouldn't make much difference.

The four elders who were at the exchange preparing to stop the Abyss from rescuing the slaves who had come to raid them nearly fainted from anger when they heard the news.

That Abyss is too cunning! And too despicable!

Although there are some traditionalists within the Council of the Dead who are willing to adhere to the necromancer's code of conduct, these traditionalists are quite unpopular. None of those who can gain a seat in the Council are virtuous; they are all individuals who have crossed the line of human morality. However, even they seem somewhat powerless in the face of the Abyss's relentless clockwork.

Previously, the Abyss was in the open, while they remained in the shadows, constantly provoking and challenging the Abyss, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Now, the Abyss is in the shadows, and they are in the open; the roles have reversed, and they finally realize what a formidable enemy they have provoked.

The Council of the Dead loves to scheme, so the Abyss intends to let the Council of the Dead taste what it's like to be schemed against.

Although this Abyss adhered to the necromancer's code, he lacked chivalry, martial ethics, and the composure expected of a master. His only weakness might be his acquaintances on the continent; however, all the Council of the Dead's attempts to exploit these vulnerabilities had failed. The Abyss had already laid various defenses against them, making assassination and abduction utterly futile.

How can we win this game? How can we turn this around?

"We must ask the venerable elders to come out of seclusion!" This was an elder who, abandoning the elegance and indifference he had learned since becoming an elder, slammed his fist on the table and said this to his colleagues.

Chapter 321 Chief Mage

Yes, under the current circumstances, if the Three Venerables don't take action, the entire Council of the Dead will be unable to deal with the Abyss.

The people of the Council of the Dead once fantasized that the legendary powerful Abyss was just a legend, and that no one was more powerful or wiser than the Three Venerables.

However, reality poured cold water on their faces: Abyss was indeed very strong, so strong that as long as he remained hidden in the shadows, even Elders, who had reached the pinnacle of magic, could not harm him in the slightest and could only be toyed with as appetizers.

Everyone's illusions and wishful thinking were ruthlessly punctured by the Abyss, and unable to believe that the Abyss was just a paper tiger, they immediately thought of the three Venerables, who might be qualified to be enemies of the Abyss in the Council of the Dead.

“I will contact the Three Venerables,” an elder said, frowning.

He was the elder specifically responsible for communicating with the Three Venerables. The Three Venerables were usually very secretive and rarely appeared in front of other members; only the elders could occasionally see them. As for communication with the elders, it was through this elder specifically responsible for liaison.

This method of communication is not efficient, but the mysterious Three Venerables have always relied on this method to maintain their mystery, and even the elders do not know the details of the Three Venerables.

The elder responsible for contacting the Three Venerables carefully took out a mirror from his bag and placed it on the table.

He carefully tidied his appearance, cleared his throat, and then channeled his magic into the mirror.

With a strange ripple on the mirror's surface, a dark figure appeared on it. One of the three Venerables reconnected with the communication.

The person reflected in the mirror was dressed in a black mage's robe of very high quality but with an extremely simple design. His face was covered by a black mask without any facial features, leaving only two eye holes—the eye holes glowed with a faint blue light, which was the magical flames that were burning.

"Chief Mage!" This high-ranking elder greeted the Venerable with the humility and politeness of a magic apprentice. "Please forgive my abruptness in contacting you."

"What is it you want to say?" The voice from inside was heavy with breathing. The chief mage's mask seemed to be made of some kind of wood, making his voice sound quite muffled. He spoke slowly and deliberately, but not clumsily; instead, it gave off a special sense of seriousness.

“My lord, we have just been robbed by the Abyss,” the elder said in a panic. “The Abyss raided all our slave breeding facilities, seized all the exchanges, and ransacked the homes of some people who had stockpiled large numbers of slaves. The Council has suffered a great loss! We have done our best, but this Abyss is truly bizarre.”

"Were you acting in a timely manner?" came the chief mage's deep voice from inside the mirror.

“We've done everything we can to make the operation as timely as possible, but the Abyss is lurking in the shadows, and he's moving much faster than us, so—”

"Do you have the magic I taught you to limit the Abyss's ability to open spatial rifts at will and transfer people and objects into its own world?"

“Yes… but we just discovered that the people in the exchange aren’t slaves at all. We’ve been tricked.” The elder’s voice trembled slightly. He was still very nervous facing this super mage who had lived from a very ancient era.

"In other words, you haven't accomplished anything?" The chief mage's voice was calm, but the question he asked startled the elders present.

"Yes...yes." The elder in charge of liaison dared not play any tricks and could only answer the chief mage in this way.

Upon hearing this, the chief mage sitting on the other end of the communication mirror nodded slightly, then stretched out a hand towards the mirror.

Before any of the elders could react, an invisible force suddenly gripped the elder's neck, and a handprint immediately appeared on the elder's neck.

The elder felt as if his neck was being tightly strangled, and he couldn't breathe. The protective magic that usually surrounded him, which he was so proud of, now seemed to have completely betrayed him, offering no protection whatsoever.

His eyes bulged out and turned blood red from the powerful force on his neck, but he dared not resist. Even though he felt his life was being threatened, he did not dare to move.

The other elders were terrified; it seemed the Chief Mage was truly angry with them.

"Chief Mage, please calm down! That Abyss is exceptionally powerful. It seems that only the three of you in the Council of the Dead are qualified to contend with him! It's not that we're inactive, it's just that that Abyss is too strong!" an elder cried out, "Chief Mage, we really have done our best!"

The invisible force that had been encircling the neck of the elder in charge of communication has only now disappeared.

"Well, I know now that you have no way to deal with the Abyss." The chief mage's cold voice came from the mirror, and he withdrew the hand he had just extended. "That was just a joke."

What kind of joke is this?! The elders were all groaning in their hearts. The elder whose neck was being choked almost had his neck broken by you, okay?

Even if these elders have the means to resurrect themselves in other bodies after this body is destroyed, this can't be considered a joke to lighten the mood, right?

"Chief Mage..." The elder, whose neck was being choked, didn't even dare to cough, and said in a hoarse voice, "We still can't find the location of the Abyss. We beg the Venerable Ones to take action and find the Abyss's hiding place so that the Council can gather its strength to carry out the operation."

"Yes, Chief Mage. Moreover, Abyss's plan is too meticulous and flawless. We considered kidnapping his acquaintances on the continent, but all attempts failed. He arranged one substitute after another for those acquaintances, so that they would not be in danger while carrying out normal activities. As for the Druid Gathering, they also have many high-ranking mages, and the council cannot reach them."

“Next, we will take action,” the chief mage said slowly. “If there are any tasks that require your attention, I will inform you.”