The Nine Abyss Domain comprised eighty-one territories in total.
Though they were called eighty-one territories, they were in reality eighty-one massive islands. When the God of Death created the "Underworld" all those ages ago, he left behind this peculiar place deep in the Underworld Sea—the Nine Abyss Domain. All eighty-one islands, roughly equal in size, happened to be adjacent to one another. On a map, one would discover that they were arranged in a perfect circle.
"The Nine Abyss Domain—the gathering place of the powerful in the Underworld!" Lin Lei gazed from high above at the distant island landmasses.
The Nine Abyss Domain, much like "Purgatory" in Hell, drew countless battle-hungry powerhouses. They were unruly, they craved combat. Over the countless ages, eighty-one lords had risen to rule the eighty-one territories! As a Nine Abyss Lord, one stood at the absolute pinnacle of power in one's territory!
But serving as a Nine Abyss Lord also meant facing challenges from other powerhouses within the territory. Should one lose, the stronger combatant would assume the lord's seat!
Whoosh!
A streak of cyan light tore across the sky and soon descended upon the nearest island. "Island" was only relative when compared to the Underworld's main continent. Compared to the Yulan Continent, Yulan would seem like a mere speck! Any single one of these eighty-one territories spanned millions of miles.
The moment they landed, Lin Lei and Bei Bei looked around.
Before them stretched a vast, desolate wilderness—scarcely inhabited.
"After flying for so long, I still don't know which of the eighty-one islands this is." Lin Lei furrowed his brow. The Underworld Sea was simply too vast, and he'd been relying on landmarks throughout his journey to roughly gauge his route. But the sea was so enormous—even the slightest deviation in course could mean arriving at an entirely different island.
He first had to determine which island he was standing on.
Only then could he orient himself among the islands and find the Spatial Gate.
"Boss, that's easy—just find someone and ask. Although, there really aren't many people here. Completely different from the Underworld's mainland," Bei Bei said with a frown.
Lin Lei smiled. "Anyone bold enough to come to the Nine Abyss Domain is a powerhouse. Even with tens of millions or hundreds of millions of people, on islands this vast, it wouldn't amount to much. I think most of them have gathered toward the center. Hey, there's someone over there!"
Lin Lei's eyes lit up.
A blond-haired man was flying at tremendous speed in the distance.
"Let's go ask." Lin Lei and Bei Bei shot forward like twin bolts of lightning, instantly tearing across the sky to catch up.
The blond man glanced back and couldn't help but startle. "What speed! Not someone to mess with!" In the Nine Abyss Domain, killing happened on a whim. He didn't dare run, fearing it would provoke them. He quickly stopped and waited as Lin Lei and Bei Bei pulled up before him. The blond man forced a smile. "Gentlemen, how may I help you?"
He still shot a startled glance at Lin Lei, who remained in his dragon-transformed form.
"Don't worry," Bei Bei called out cheerfully. "We're not here to cause trouble. Just a question—which island is this one in the Nine Abyss Domain?"
The blond man secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied, "This island is 'Lotus Rock Island' in the Nine Abyss Domain."
"Lotus Rock Island? It seems I really did drift off course—I was aiming for Liumo Island." A map of the eighty-one islands flashed through Lin Lei's mind, and he instantly pinpointed his location, knowing which direction to head next.
"Thanks." Lin Lei nodded to the blond man. "Bei Bei, let's go."
Without resting, Lin Lei and Bei Bei soared into the air once more and rocketed off toward the southeast at blinding speed.
"Phew." The blond man watched them leave and only then let out a long breath. The pressure of Lin Lei's dragon aura had been enough to make his blood run cold.
The most central island in the Nine Abyss Domain—Flame Bone Island!
The most famous landmark on Flame Bone Island was "Flame Bone Mountain." It wasn't the residence of some supreme powerhouse, but rather the location of the Spatial Gate leading to the "Plane Battlefield." During every Plane War, large numbers of people passed through on their way to the battlefield.
On Flame Bone Island, amid the vast wilderness, ancient stone houses were scattered here and there.
"Second Brother, that bald man at the 'Blood Battle Arena' today—his strength was really something. I'd say his achievement in the Lightning Laws—at the very least, he's fused three Mysteries." Two black-robed youths flew through the air, discussing the battle they'd just witnessed.
"He was impressive. Today's win makes it sixty in a row. I wonder if he can reach a Hundred Victories," the slightly thinner black-robed youth sighed.
"What good is a Hundred Victories? You think he'd dare challenge the Flame Bone Lord?" the rounder one scoffed. "In the hundred-million-plus years since we came to the Flame Bone territory, plenty have achieved a Hundred Victories. But there have only been three challenges to the Flame Bone Lord—and you saw what happened each time. Those challengers were at least Seven-Star Demons, maybe even higher. Far stronger than that bald man. And yet... they were all killed in a single blow! They couldn't even fight back."
"Though I hear no one can challenge the Flame Bone Lord right now anyway. Apparently he's entered the Plane Battlefield."
"Yeah, that's right. The Plane Battlefield! Even a Seven-Star Demon who goes in gets slaughtered. But come out alive with some merit, and you've got it made. I've heard you can get a Highgod's power—some even say you can get a Divine Artifact!" The two black-robed youths exchanged envious glances as they spoke.
The greater the danger, the greater the reward.
But...
The vast majority of people turned pale at the mere mention of the Plane Battlefield, not daring to set foot inside.
"Hm?" The two black-robed brothers suddenly looked ahead.
Two afterimages streaked across the sky, hurtling toward them at terrifying speed. The sheer velocity put the brothers on their guard, and they halted. The newcomers turned out to be a young man in a sky-blue robe and a boy wearing a straw hat. The young man smiled and said, "Sorry to bother you two—do you happen to know where Flame Bone Mountain is?"
Lin Lei knew Flame Bone Island had a Flame Bone Mountain, but he'd never been here before.
"Flame Bone Mountain?"
The black-robed brothers' hearts skipped a beat, but they forced smiles onto their faces.
"Flame Bone Mountain—just keep flying straight in this direction for several hundred thousand miles. From a distance, you'll see a towering mountain wreathed in flames. That's Flame Bone Mountain," the rounder of the two said with a smile.