I told you to plant peas, and you summon Mordekaiser?

"That happened five years ago."

He said in a low voice, "Back then, I made a deal with the forces of the royal city. Their ninth-tier creatures had reached the end of their power and wanted to break through, but they couldn't find a way. They asked me for help, and I used the corpse plague as a bargaining chip to exchange for some resources with them."

"Corpse plague?" Soren narrowed his eyes. "You mean, the aura of corpse plague on that red-winged demon might be the one you traded out back then?"

“It’s very likely.” The cult leader nodded. “However, what those guys got was not the complete plague, but a fragmented imprint. Its power is far less than the original plague body on Qi Qi’s body, not even one percent.”

"Even so, this power is still priceless to them."

Soren's brow furrowed. "That Crimson-winged Demon was very likely an experimental subject created using the plague by the force you were dealing with?"

“That’s right.” The cult leader calmly analyzed, “To be able to cause such a huge mess in the royal city… it’s probably because of the power of the zombie plague. I wonder what that force is up to.”

“This could be an opportunity,” Soren said in a slightly somber tone. “Which faction did you deal with back then? Perhaps we can use this opportunity to win them over.”

The cult leader remained silent for a moment, then a slightly embarrassed smile appeared on his lips.

"Uh..." he said, somewhat embarrassed. "I don't know."

"You don't know? You don't know who you made the deal with?" Soren's eyes widened, clearly shocked by the answer.

"I made deals with too many forces back then," the Corpse Cult leader said with a hint of helplessness. "Those families, councilors, and some secret underground experimental organizations, I've contacted almost all of them."

"..." Soren was speechless for a moment.

The cult leader coughed lightly, seemingly a little embarrassed, and explained, "Otherwise, how do you think the Corpse Cult rose to prominence so rapidly in the past few years? All those resources and technologies were obtained through these transactions."

Soren sighed and rubbed his forehead, taking a deep breath. "Alright, let's not worry about which faction created this monster. Let's get going. Reaching the royal city is the key."

The cult leader nodded, his expression returning to its cold and decisive state.

He turned around, his black robe billowing in a flowing arc: "If that Crimson-Winged Demon is indeed a product of the Corpse Plague experiment, then I'd really like to see for myself just how far it can go."

......

......

On the scorched earth of the royal city, flames, like invisible giant hands, greedily licked the ruins.

The air was thick with heat and a burning sensation, and the thick smoke obscured the sky, making even the light seem extremely dim.

The earth's surface cracked open with countless jagged fissures, seemingly foreshadowing the end of this land.

The royal city has accumulated nearly a thousand years of history, and its facilities are exceptionally complete.

Residents have taken refuge in underground air-raid shelters that extend hundreds of meters underground.

Aatrox hovered in mid-air, his crimson wings flapping slowly, stirring up the surrounding wind and fire.

His posture was like that of a judge emerging from the abyss, with a greatsword hanging in his hand, exuding an arrogant killing intent.

His gaze swept over the massive ninth-tier plants around him, as if he were pondering how to tear them apart.

The tendrils entwine the water plants like endless tentacles, swirling and coiling in the air like towering waves, each movement capable of shattering the air.

The obsidian peas continuously fired scorching energy projectiles, and the shockwaves from the explosions caused the space to tremble.

The Dark Crystal Torch machine gunners stood like towers, their gushing flames mixed with dark red lightning, distorting the air as they burned.

The aura of these ninth-tier plants was so immense that it silenced the entire battlefield, with only the low rumble of energy collisions echoing between heaven and earth.

But Aatrox simply waved his hand, and the burst of black and red sword energy annihilated these attacks in the distance.

Neither side dared to use their full strength easily, and they were still testing each other in the air.

In the distance, Chen Yang stood amidst ruins, looking up at the standoff that resembled a battle of gods.

He could clearly feel the oppressive aura emanating from these ninth-tier plants, which transformed into an invisible hammer, striking his very soul.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm.

“Ninth-order life…” Chen Yang murmured, his gaze gradually becoming complicated.

This was his first encounter with a ninth-tier being.

He thought of one of his plants that was aiming for the ninth rank.

Mordecais.

If we can absorb the energy of these ninth-tier plants... could it allow Mordekaiser to advance to the ninth tier?

The thought spread like wildfire, and his gaze unconsciously fell on the card box at his waist.

As if in response to his thoughts, at that moment, the silent card box suddenly trembled slightly, as if it too had sensed the terrifying power on the battlefield.

Mordecais is stirring things up.

Chen Yang's gaze sharpened, and without the slightest hesitation, he released Mordekaiser.

He knew that even if he didn't release Mordekaiser, the Lord of the Underworld would find a way to leave the card on his own.

In an instant, the world suddenly darkened, and a cold, ghostly wind blew from afar, carrying the cries and murmurs of wandering spirits that echoed in the air.

A chilling, ghostly aura filled the air, so heavy it seemed capable of crushing all life.

This is Mordekaiser's first time arriving in this world in his eighth-tier form.

"boom!"

With a deep, resounding boom, a massive figure stepped out of the void.

Mordekaiser, the lord of the underworld, wielding the giant hammer "Nightfall" and clad in jet-black armor, slowly descended upon the battlefield.

His body was like a towering fortress, shrouded in a thick aura of death. The runes on his black armor glowed faintly, emitting a dim light, and every step he took caused the ground to crack.

With his arrival, the ninth-tier plants that had been surrounding Aatrox stopped their movements and turned their gazes toward Mordekaiser.

This unprecedented aura made them wary, even carrying a hint of unease.

Seeing this, Chen Yang took a step back and said to Mordekaiser, "The sky is full of ninth-order beings. You can choose whichever you like to absorb. I've done all I can."

Mordecais glanced down at Chen Yang without saying a word.

He slowly placed the giant hammer "Nightfall" on the ground. The moment the hammer tip touched the ground, a dark ripple spread out, enveloping the entire battlefield.

The flames on the ground seemed to be completely devoured by this power, suddenly extinguished, and the next second, green soul fire bloomed again from them.

Heaven and earth seemed to have transformed into a dark and mysterious prison.

On the ground, the Lord of the Underworld slowly raised his head, and eerie green ghost fire flickered inside his helmet.

Ignoring all other ninth-tier life forms, Mordekaiser's gaze pierced through space, meeting Aatrox's gaze across the sky.

Aatrox was the same; he carried a greatsword on his back, his wings spread wide, and he looked down at the iron-armored figure.

With a slight upturn of his lips, Aatrox's crimson pupils blazed with fierce fighting spirit.