The Dark King - Chapter 88

A wonder falling down from heaven! A boy possessed by strange blood! Gods tremble! Demons flee! A boy from the land of Dong Zhou. A pink skull as his sworn friend until death. A story of a determined warrior struggling for power. A legend that shakes the galaxy and disturbs the worlds of god, demon and man.

- Description from Novelupdates

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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In the Province of the Nine Skies, far above the heavens, there exists Nine Galaxies of Astral Rivers made up of countless constellations interwoven together.

For Martial Cultivators, they could form an innate link with one of the constellations, awaken their Astral Soul, and transform into a Stellar Martial Cultivator.

Legend has it that, the strongest cultivators in the Province of the Nine Skies, were beings that could open an astral gate every time they advanced into a new realm. Their talent in cultivation was such that they could even establish innate links with constellations that existed in a layer higher than the Nine Layers of Heavens, eventually transforming into the heaven-defying and earth-shattering power known as the War God of the Nine Heavens.

Qin Wentian is the MC of this story. How could a guy, with a broken set of meridians, successfully cultivate? There were countless Stellar Martial Cultivators, as there were countless constellations in the vast starry skies. What he wanted to be, was the brightest constellation of all, shining dazzlingly in the vast starry skies.

- Description from novelupdates

After being awakened from their slumber, billions of people found themselves dispersed in various sealed crypts. Surrounded by earth, they each had only a shovel.