Chapter 423 - 287: Conclusion of the Race Against Time

Chapter 423: Chapter 287: Conclusion of the Race Against Time

The ease of implanting the Subordinate Insect into Suo Ling’s brain surprised Han Ning.

He had thought it would be a difficult struggle to implant the Subordinate Insect.

’As it turned out... he wasn’t sure if it was because of the high quality of his own Spiritual Power or if his opponent was just too weak, but he’d managed to successfully implant the parasite with almost no effort.’

Han Ning picked up the rubber-like object that had fallen by Suo Ling’s feet. Tossing it in his hand, he casually asked the prostrate Suo Ling, "Tell me, who sent you here to attack the Dragon Blood Race? And what is your identity?"

"To answer, Master, I am the Clan Leader of the third family of the Dark Race. I came here to attack the Dragon Blood Race... It was a mission given to me by the Clan Leader of the first family—Soron," Suo Ling replied obediently, lying in a puddle of foul-smelling filth.

"So it was Soron!" Qing Dou snorted, clearly familiar with the man.

"What’s Soron’s strength?" Han Ning asked.

"His strength is equivalent to an Ancestor from the Five Ancestor Families. Within the Grudge Abyss, in a battle relying solely on our Contracted Soul Beasts, I am not his match. Of course, if we were on the surface, he would be weaker than me."

"The Dark Race is one of the most prominent races in the Grudge Abyss. The only ones who can compare are the Nether Spring and Night Blade. Furthermore... these three Abyssal Races essentially broke away from the Alataku tribes. You could say they are offshoots left behind by the Alataku People, and their clans control a series of legacies connected to the Alatak,"

Qing Dou replied after a moment of thought.

When a Beast Master spoke of strength, it was generally a comprehensive assessment based on their Spiritual Level and the average level of their Contracted Soul Beasts.

Due to the region’s environmental limitations, the overall strength of the intelligent races within the Grudge Abyss was weaker than those on the surface.

All of this... was because the Queen’s Divine Hall and the Five Ancestor Families dominated the surface.

In fact, the root of it all stemmed from the continent’s former masters—the Alatake Clan.

’Qing Dou’s strength,’ Han Ning estimated, ’is probably on par with the Five Great Ancestors—a level where neither can suppress the other. Only the mysterious High Priest and the slumbering Queen can overpower him.’

Han Ning grunted in acknowledgement and continued, "It seems the three great Abyssal Races have some inkling of our plans and have even sensed the changes on the Insect Continent. Tell me everything you know."

"We aren’t fully aware of your plans... It was just that the anomaly near Night Nether City put my brother on alert. About three Abyssal cycles ago... which is about four months in Insect Continent time... he sent out scouting parties to specifically monitor the situation near Night Nether City. That’s how we learned that a group of Dragon Blood People from the surface was living there, along with an unknown number of an Alien Race not recorded in our clan’s archives."

"We observed your faction for several months and finally came to a conclusion... you’re raising a Gray Demon Whale and preparing to leave this continent."

"My brother’s main objective was to use the lives of the Dragon Blood People to trade with the Qing Dou Leader for intelligence. If that went smoothly, he planned to ally with the other two races, wipe out the Dragon Blood Race, and seize the Gray Demon Whale." The traitorous Suo Ling laid out the Dark Race’s entire plan.

Qing Dou’s face turned grim. If Suo Ling hadn’t already become Han Ning’s Puppet, he would have been unable to contain his rage and slapped the man into a bloody pulp.

"Where is that bastard Soron now?" Qing Dou asked through gritted teeth, suppressing his fury.

Suo Ling glanced at Han Ning, clearly seeking his permission to answer.

"Speak."

"Yes... Because of the spatial storms, the number of habitable areas within the Abyss is shrinking. My brother is leading the rest of our clan to a new location."

"Relocating? Where are you planning to move?" Han Ning suddenly had a bad feeling.

Suo Ling didn’t dare to hide anything. "Toward Netherworld City, the city left behind by the Holy Race. The surrounding space is relatively stable. If the continent collapses, the city of the Holy Race will be the last to fall."

’Thank goodness it’s not Night Nether City.’ Han Ning breathed a sigh of relief.

Night Nether City was the second-largest city the Alataku People had built within the Grudge Abyss. The largest... was Netherworld City.

Suo Ling’s gaze fell on the transparent, jellyfish-bell-shaped object in Han Ning’s hand. "The Dark Race has spies throughout almost the entire Abyss. The Dragon Blood Race’s every move is under our surveillance. This Soul Artifact is our clan’s heritage treasure, given to me personally by my brother to use against the Qing Dou Leader."

"Even in the Abyss, we have heard of the Qing Dou Leader’s great reputation."

"If we had succeeded in taking most of the Dragon Blood People hostage, we could have used them to bargain with the Qing Dou Leader. If we failed, we could still have relied on the Soul Artifact to hold out until my brother arrived with reinforcements... But I never imagined that you, Master, would be so wise and powerful as to effortlessly break through the Heritage Soul Artifact’s defenses..."

Suo Ling’s words trailed off into blatant flattery toward Han Ning.

"Enough, enough. Now tell me what you’ve learned about the surface... meaning, the Queen and the Five Ancestor Families," Han Ning said, quickly cutting off the ugly bastard’s sycophantic praise.

’Just imagine: having a guy who looked like a ghoul lay on the flattery so thick wasn’t just unsatisfying, it was downright nauseating.’

"Our ancestor... was originally an Alataku researcher. From the records he left behind, we learned long ago that the so-called Insect Queen on the surface is actually a biological weapon created by the great Prince of the Netherworld. The Five Great Ancestors are merely rejects left over from the creation of the Queen’s bloodline. Since our ancestor lived in an era before the Alataku People departed, we don’t know the reason they left this place."