Virus King - Chapter 317

Chapter 317: Scarlet Assembly! Has the Abyss Found a Master?

TL: YYang

Just as Chen Bai narrowly escaped death and gained a deeper understanding of the Hell he was in—

At the very center of Blood Moon City, atop a towering, blood-red mountain peak—

This peak, entirely crimson in hue, loomed imposingly.

At its summit, a massive, scarlet, bat-shaped shadow of a full moon hung suspended.

Within the mountain, where even the sunlight of Hell failed to reach, silhouettes darted swiftly in and out.

Among them was Astaroth, without a doubt.

She, alongside the others who had arrived, immediately bowed toward the blood-red figure at the highest seat, respectfully saying:

“Revered Lord of Blood, Crimson Queen, Eternal Blood Moon Witch, and Mother of the Blood Clan! Your faithful servant, Astaroth, greets you!”

The figure at the head of the gathering, compared to all those present, could only be described as small—almost diminutive. Her petite form seemed bathed in the bat-shaped glow of the crimson moon above, as if it were natural for her to blend with it. She wore an outfit resembling a lolita-style dress, entirely blood-red.

The figure turned and sat upon the highest throne. Behind her, the wails of souls echoed faintly, the crimson moon spread across the land like a veil, and the origins of all flowing blood seemed tied to her.

Yet, her face was obscured from view.

From the shadow of her figure, one could vaguely glimpse a pair of peculiar, eerie, blood-stained wings slowly materializing behind her.

“How is the First Embrace Ceremony progressing?”

A sweet, crisp voice rang out, but none of the dozen or so beings present dared to meet her gaze.

True gods were forever supreme.

The gap between mortals and demigods paled in comparison to the vast chasm between demigods and true gods.

Within their domains, gods were omnipotent and omnipresent. That was divinity.

Astaroth hastily responded: “Great Lilith, Your Excellency, over a million beings participated in the First Embrace Ceremony. Three days from now will mark the second round of testing!”

“This is the first time the First Embrace Ceremony has been held in Hell. There must be no mistakes. However, Astaroth, I trust in your capabilities.”

Hearing this rare praise, Astaroth’s expression turned jubilant.

“I heard that this time, a human hybrid is among the participants? It seems there’s a trace of human bloodline in Hell—quite interesting. I’ll take a closer look when the time comes.”

Upon hearing these words, Astaroth froze momentarily, then hurriedly lowered her head. Inwardly, she felt a surge of relief. Fortunately, she hadn’t impulsively killed that reckless human earlier.

It seemed Lilith, Her Excellency, truly valued humans.

After a brief pause, the discussion turned to the main topic.

“This time, I gathered you all here during the First Embrace Ceremony for a reason: Lord Satan has reappeared in the world. What are your thoughts?”

As soon as she spoke, the expressions of many Hell Demons present—former members of the Seventy-Two Demon Gods of Hell—visibly soured.

However, at that moment, a figure cloaked entirely in crimson at the far end of the long table spoke up:

“No matter the time, I and the 16th Legion will always remain loyal to Her Excellency Lilith!”

Astaroth glanced at the speaker, her eyes flashing with mockery and disdain.

This fool had perished in the recently established God and Devil Trial Grounds, only to be granted the fortune of having his body reconstructed with Lilith’s own pure blood, creating a Pureblood Vampire form.

Once he perfectly fused with it, his power might even advance further, and he could potentially become one of Lilith’s subordinate gods in the future.

“Your loyalty has been noted. However, the reason I summoned you here isn’t just to discuss that.”

Lilith’s tone grew serious. “In the Blood Moon’s sensing, I’ve detected something unusual in the Abyss. If my guess is correct, along with Lord Satan’s reappearance, it’s possible that the Abyss has found a master!”

“What?!”

“That’s impossible!”

“Someone passed the Abyssal Trial?”

“That trial is said to be impassable, even by the gods themselves! The Authority of the Abyss cannot possibly fall into the hands of any being!”

“…”

Lilith’s words stirred the previously subdued gathering into an uproar of shock and disbelief.

Among those present were most of the original Seventy-Two Pillars of Demon Gods.

These Demon Gods of Hell had been born in its depths long ago.

Some may not have experienced the era when Hell itself was encased within the 600th Layer of the Abyss, but their understanding of the Abyss far surpassed that of most beings, including the gods themselves.

Beyond their initial shock, a heavy sense of dread and fear permeated the gathering.

The dukes and earls of the demons trembled, none more so than Zepar, who now possessed a Pureblood Vampire form. Even his very soul quaked in terror.

For Zepar, the very concept of Satan and the Authority of the King of Hell inspired primal fear from the core of his existence.

Though he had concealed certain details about Lilith’s situation the last time he faced Satan, Zepar had not truly lied.

The truth was, when confronted by that being, Zepar did not dare to lie outright.

The fact that he managed to withhold a fraction of the truth about Lilith had already pushed his limits.

Yet this new revelation sent him spiraling into despair once again.

He could state without reservation that at his peak, Satan—Hell’s first embodiment of evil and its original master—was far beyond the combined strength of Beelzebub, who now wielded the Authorities of Gluttony and Thunder; Lucifer, who commanded Pride; Lilith; Vassago, who remained imprisoned; and even the mysterious Prince Balam.

Now, the King of Hell had not only returned but seemed to have gained even more authority!

Thud, thud, thud.

A heavy knock on the table brought the room to silence as a voice rang out:

“Why the panic? Lord Satan’s return has already been mentioned by Zepar. It seems His Excellency has not fully resurrected and is instead bound to a human residing in the new God and Devil Trial Grounds known as ‘Blue Star.’”

The voice paused briefly before continuing, “From what I’ve sensed through the Blood Moon, the true bearer of the Authority is that human. This time, I’ve summoned you all to declare the Blood Moon’s stance. Hell belongs to devils, but with Satan’s resurrection and the Abyss having a new master, a clash between Hell and the Abyss is inevitable in the future. Whether we prevail or not is unknown, but preparations must begin early. Therefore…”

The speaker turned their gaze toward Zepar.

“Zepar, Rika is participating in the selection process for the First Embrace Ceremony, is she not?”

“Yes, Great Lilith, Your Excellency! Rika has been blessed by you and will surely stand out among the rest!”

Lilith, unfazed by Zepar’s flattery, continued: “Rika possesses a significant human bloodline, one directly tied to Blue Star, the current God and Devil Trial Grounds. Because of this, she can move freely between Hell and Blue Star.

After the First Embrace Ceremony, once she receives my First Embrace, she will be tasked with returning to Blue Star.

Her mission will be to locate the human Evolver who has inherited the Authority of the Abyss and bears the mark of Satan’s resurrection. Establish a positive relationship with them, and, if possible, subtly test their capabilities. Additionally, there is another participant with a human bloodline—send them along with Rika for this task.”

At this, everyone present exchanged looks of understanding, their eyes lighting up with realization.

“Great Lilith, Your Excellency, your wisdom is as boundless as the crimson moon itself! This approach keeps Blood Moon City from being tied to Hell’s camp, while also probing the depth of the lucky individual who acquired the Authority of the Abyss!”

The demons present didn’t hold back their praise, showering Lilith with flattery.

Zepar’s blood-red form quivered with excitement.

He knew that on Blue Star, the human boy from the family he had chosen as candidates for Hell’s new bride seemed to have some connection to the great figure in question.

Sending Rika back with this mission would ensure its flawless execution.

However, what none of them—including Lilith, the Blood Moon Goddess—realized was that the human Evolver they sought, the one who had gained the Authority of the Abyss and bore the mark of Satan’s resurrection…

Was already residing in Blood Moon City.